Rachel Denny
Rachel Denny's work is an exploration of the seductive beauty of our natural world and the imprint that human intervention has made on its flora and fauna. Denny is best known for her “Domestic Trophies”—deer mounts covered in cozy cashmere cable knit woolens. She has shown in galleries nationwide for over 15 years, and her sculptures are included in many private collections worldwide. Denny lives and works in her rural studio outside of Portland, Oregon, and her work is represented by Visions West Contemporary Gallery. Please visit the Visions West Contemporary website for a complete list of available work.
Artist Statement
The animal form has been used in art since the earliest cave drawings, and there is still relevance in bringing new attention to our cohabitants, whom we feel dominion over. We surround ourselves with elements from nature in the form of manicured lawns, sculpted trees, and our domesticated companions. We bend the natural world to our tastes to create a comfortable place from which to appreciate its unpredictable beauty. However, our artificial environments come at a cost, and the absurdity of our actions is evident as the natural world diminishes, with less nature every year.
My sculptures intend to transform the animal form by incorporating the texture of human detritus into poetic creatures that reflect our conflicted desire for control over our environment and our search for feral beauty. We often move through this life at a frantic pace, and this series of creatures was created as a reflection of the ebb and flow of our actions. My newest work reflects on our complicated relationship with the natural world that sustains us.
