Rachel Hammel is an artist who works in mixed media: textiles, acrylic paint, thread and paper. She is inspired by landscape and explores its complexity by examining the layers expressed in representations of land.
‘As an avid walker I am endlessly fascinated by the physicality of the land.
I often stand atop the South Downs and wonder about the landscape below me. There are shapes and textures formed by a combination of weather, geology, vegetation, wildlife and hu-man activity.
The structures and patterns these interactions create over time; their cultural significance; and their representations in cartography, photography and art are the starting points for my work.’
Rachel’s work is characterized by the layering of materials which are then hand embroidered to suggest unity and movement across time.
Rachel’s work is abstract, and her inspiration is drawn primarily from the South Downs in Eng-land (where she lives) and her extensive collection of vintage maps.