Rachel A. Wallis
Accumulated Losses
115 N. High St.
Artist Statement
Accumulated Losses shows the toll of the climate crisis on land, vegetation, animals, and humans over time, through a naturally dyed and block printed quilt. The quilt features a map of Lake Mead, based on satellite photos showing the drastic reduction of this vital water source over the last 20 years. Surrounding the central panel of the quilt are naturally dyed and block printed squares highlighting species of plants, animals and insects endangered or extinct as a result of anthropogenic climate change. The beauty of the seemingly abstract, natural-dyed landscape will slowly give way to shock as the viewer comes to understand what is being represented. As natural dye is not completely light fast, the banners will slowly fade over the course of the year's exposure to sunlight, reinforcing the overall sense of loss over time.
Artist Bio
Rachel Wallis is a community taught crafter, artist and activist. Her work focuses on collaborative community quilting projects addressing issues of race and social justice. Past projects have included Gone But Not Forgotten, a community quilting process creating a memorial quilt for individuals killed by the Chicago Police Department, and Anguilla Quilt, a quilt exploring the legacy of the murder of prison laborers in Anguilla, GA in the 1940s. Rachel completed an MA in art and social practice at Moore College of Art and Design in 2016. Her work has been featured in the Chicago Tribune, the Chicago Sun Times, the Journal of Surface Design, and “Art Therapy for Social Justice: Radical Intersections.” She has taught classes or served as artist in residence at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, A Studio in the Woods, Lillstreet Art Center, and the Coffee Creek Women’s Correctional Center, and Project Nia.
