Rachel E. Foster
(American, b. 1980; resides in Chicago, IL)
In her series Deep as a Well, Rachel E. Foster builds a narrative of the history of the world through curating thousands of images found online of significant figures, moments, or artifacts. Foster moves the images offline and into physical form by creating and screenprinting halftone files. Culling singular moments from the vastness and clutter of the internet, the artist creates a pause button, of sorts, for the ever-moving, ever-changing digital landscape and makes a quiet space for the significant moments to be recognized. Examples of items she has chosen to pluck from the internet include a scattering of pennies—Lincoln side up--left on the grave of John Wilkes Booth, the Morse Code from the distress call of the sinking Titanic, and the last remnants of the Oregon Trail. Collectively, the series imparts a sense of wonder at the short human trail in an infinite physical and digital universe.
Rachel E. Foster completed a MFA from the California College of the Arts in San Francisco, CA (2011) and a BFA from Columbia College Chicago (2003). Her work has been exhibited both nationally and internationally, including: Unspeakable Projects, San Francisco, CA (2013); the Menil Collection, Houston, TX (2012); Western Exhibitions, Chicago, IL (2011); and Voorkamer Gallery, Lier Belgium (2011).
