Rachel Amy Rochford - On the head of the shoulders of others

A few years ago, Lisa Brice had worked on a series of studies surrounding Peter Doigs family at CCA7. The portraits where painted as if she had photographed them using an infrared camera. What is unusual about this is that much later an painter by the name of Rachel Rochford would occupy one of the studios and paint work that carried a similar appeal. Night vision.

At her current exhibition, Document Me at the Trinidad Art Society, Ms. Rochford is showing forty six works produced by clippings from the Newspapers popular opinion page. These are not portraits but rather she says head shots of faces which individually are a catalyst in the final piece. They embody the spirit of the person captured by (wiping off) adding or removing the positive spaces to give it its negative composition. This technique takes a bit of skill as she works with acrylics without using a retarder to slow the process of drying down. It means that a painting is done more like a pelimimary wash in under twenty minutes. They cant be overworked because any unevenness would surely be noticed. Ms. Rochford is not shy by explaining the stages she feels fit not the continue if a work becomes too overworked. There is no saving a memory here, she starts from a clean slate by re-coating the canvas with gesso.

Rochford-2

#11 They should be neutral that is why they are independent Santa Cruz

The entire collection took a year to produce. They are like a memory of seeing someone pass you by on the street. Rache Rochford takes this opportunity to express what she sees by a kindness in its intent. These are not just people at random, but rather the Peoples that make up her Island. They belong in her heart, they speak from her hands about despair, hope, celebration in a time of uncertainty, yet encompasses an united one.

The only concern with many of the paintings is that the acrylic makes the work dull, its needs a glaze to lift the undertones and add a richness to the canvas. I wonder if Ms. Rochford has ever explored or considered oils

Rachel Amy Rochford was trained from the University of Reading, United Kingdom, She occupies a studio at Fernandes Compound, Laventille, Trinidad. Document Me runs until June 29, 2009, Trinidad Art Society Building, Trinidad

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