Featured Artist Barbara Rachko

Artist Barbara Rachko showcases her “Bolivianos” series of dynamic colorful pastel paintings of Bolivian Carnival masks. Enjoy this selection of her work and view more by visiting her website.

 

 

In 2017, I was fortunate to have the opportunity to travel from New York City to Bolivia to continue my studies of Inca and pre-Inca civilizations. (In 2016 I had visited Peru.) With travel I was hoping to find inspiration and new subject matter to paint.

 

 

I began regular trips to central and southern Mexico in the early 1990s and had become enthralled with ancient pre-Columbian civilizations such as the Olmec, Aztec, Mixtec and Zapotec. For many years I collected Mexican folk art—masks, papier mache figures, carved wooden animals and toys—to bring back to New York, photograph, and depict in original pastel-on-sandpaper works.

 

 

Now my collection numbers in the hundreds and is scattered between a West Village (New York City) apartment, my Chelsea studio and a small house in Alexandria, Virginia.

 

 

“Domestic Threats,” my first pastel painting series, began in 1992 and ended in 2007. I followed this with a photography series, “Gods and Monsters” and then the “Black Paintings” series.

 

 

The latter continued with Mexican (and additional Guatemalan) imagery, but in a more pared-down form. I eliminated all background details such as furniture, rugs, etc. and replaced them with rich black pastel. One critic dubbed this my “blackground”. In the “Black Paintings” the figures seem to emerge from or float in a dark black space.

 

 

In May 2017 I was traveling in La Paz, Bolivia. At el Museo Nacional de Etnographia y Folklore, I could hardly believe my good fortune to discover on exhibit a room full of traditional Carnival masks. The masks, and their impeccable installation, were stunning! They were spot-lit, presented dramatically against dark black walls, and practically looked alive. The whole effect was uncanny!

 

 

I pinched myself with the realization that I was looking at 3D versions of my “Black Paintings”. I immediately knew I had stumbled upon a precious gift. Surely, this exhibition had been waiting for me to come to La Paz to photograph it! Saying goodbye to my companions for the next hour or so, I stayed behind and slowly composed a few dozen photographs. These photos have become the source material for my current “Bolivianos” series.

 

 

Since then I have completed ten “Bolivianos” pastel paintings with two more in progress now. My process of layering and blending soft pastel onto sandpaper is slow and labor-intensive. It results in exciting paintings with velvety textures and vibrant colors.

 

 

I spend months on each one, creating four or five pastel paintings in a year.The series has been garnering significant critical attention and was even proclaimed, “Rachko’s strongest work to date!” In July 2019 I was thrilled to be interviewed by Paula Soito for a beautiful 18-page spread in “Art Market” Magazine.

 

 

I continue studying the symbolism of the masks depicted in “Bolivianos.” One of my assistants alerted me about the existence of a catalogue from el Museo Nacional de Etnographia y Folklore with detailed descriptions of each mask. This beautifully-illustrated book, “Mascaras:  Los Diversos Rostros del Alma,” is a personal treasure!

 

Artist Barbara Rachko invites you to follow her on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, LinkedIn and her blog, and to learn more about her book From Pilot to Painter.

 

Want to stay current on cutting edge business articles from Artsy Shark, plus artist features, and an invitation to the next Call for Artists? Subscribe to our twice-monthly Updates, and get a free e-book on Where to Sell Art Online right now!