Painting Queenstown
Rachel Rush is an artist working in bold colours with a funky street art style. She’s launching her exhibition, Paint the Town, at Queenstown’s Artbay Gallery where it will be on display until September, showcasing a collision of colour, energy, playfulness and the unexpected.
Rush is self taught and has been a full-time artist for about 20 years now. Her work focuses on two distinct contemporary art styles – one is abstract and often features multi-layered resin work which she presents under her name, Rachel Rush, and the other is her graffiti on canvas, which is presented under her surname, RUSH. She explains that she paints pieces that she’d want to see in her own home.
“I split my two brands quite a few years ago as they are both strong statement works, and both have to stand on their own merits,” Rush says. “My abstract work is inspired purely by colour and movement, while my love for street art will often find me disappearing down random lanes in Melbourne or New York just absorbing the energy that the spray paint creates.”
Her personality shines through in her work, Rush explains that she absolutely hates being told what to do and pushes back against authority. This is reflected in the street-art side of her art, where she’s a "semi-responsible adult who just loves living in a world of colour.” She recently put the finishing touches on the canvas works for ‘Paint the Town’ and is thrilled with every piece she’s pulled together.
“If you have been looking for a piece of my work you really can’t go past these pieces to start or add to your collection. And if you find yourself short on wall space then we have some extra special options of ‘things you need’- functional items that I have worked on that you quite possibly can’t live without.”
Queenstown was chosen to launch the new body of work as she loves Artbay Gallery, describing the team as driven, enthusiastic and the space as breathtaking. While you can look at her pieces online, heading in to the gallery to take it all in, in person, is the best way to experience it fully. One of Rush’s favourite parts of creating art is the stories she hears along the way.
“Art is such a feel-good experience – there is no down side to it. I so often get told by collectors that they’ve had a particular space just waiting for the right piece – some clients have been looking for up to 40 years! But then they come along and view my work in reality and it just resonates with them.”
Rush has a rule that no artwork will go out for sale unless she absolutely loves it and while she doesn’t have one favourite, she really enjoys her larger pieces. People that like her work are usually looking for statement artworks – her pieces aren’t designed to sit quietly, but rather to be a conversation starter that holds its place firmly in your home.
“Often with my graffiti works my clients will tell me that even a few years later they are still discovering elements within the painting they hadn’t noticed, things that make them laugh.
My abstract works can be hung landscape or portrait so have the ability to be moved around to suit new spaces and the way these works interact with the light, especially at night time, means they are even more beautiful at night under lights which I think is lovely.”
Rush wanted to extend her thanks to the talented gallerists art Artbay, particularly Pauline and Ella, who have put together an amazing catalogue of available works.
“It’s a huge privilege to exhibit and be represented by Artbay, so I’m very excited to have it all come together,” she says.
Rachel Rush’s exhibition Paint the Town will be at Artbay Gallery, Shop 4, 9-11 Marine Parade, Queenstown, until Thursday, 17 September. You can head to artbay.co.nz for more information.
