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As a St. Louis based printmaker, my work is deeply rooted in Midwest soil. In 2015, I earned my art degree from Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, IL. With no access to a formal studio space after graduation, a small closet in my apartment was converted into my own personal print shop. Years later, having moved from my small closet to a spare bedroom, I began working with cyanotypes (also known as solar printing). 

I count myself extremely fortunate to have studied under a number of accomplished artists and have visited some of the world's best museums and landmarks, but the biggest influence in my work, by far, has been motherhood. 

When my son was born, my life shifted in every conceivable way. My minutes were no longer my minutes and my space was no longer my space. Everything became calculated and determined by his schedule. How I viewed life changed - how I viewed death changed - what I wanted to put out into the world changed. 

My fears and anxieties became twofold. I developed a compulsion to document every moment of our life and holdfast to memories as a way to comfort myself as my son grows older. This phenomenon became the basis for my current series, Memry. 

In addition to exploring the processes of encapsulating good moments, purging the bad ones, and preserving memory, this collection raises questions about the authenticity of my memories and the ways I've cropped into life as a way to curate my mind's eye.

Read Rachel's interview with the St. Louis Jewish Light.

Rachel is a 2024-2025 Fellow of the Community Arts Training (CAT) Institute under the Regional Arts Commission of St. Louis and serves as a board member of Friends of Art at Southern Illinois University in Edwardsville, Illinois.