Rachel Moseley depicts people from contemporary American life in hyperrealist portraits. Her subjects have tattoos and beards, and one drinks from a giant Double Gulp cup; they are laypeople and acquaintances of the artist, painted with a glint of celebrity. Moseley’s portraits begin with lengthy photography sessions in which she engages her subjects in conversation to try to capture natural moments of insight or storytelling. Paying close attention to facial expressions, she then translates the photographs into detailed oil paintings. In The best house on a bad block, a woman with a forewarning gaze wears a wreath of party lights around her neck, casting coloured illuminations around her figure.
[RJD Gallery, Sag Harbour, New York - Oil on wood, 50.8 x 40.6 cm]