Rebecca Rutstein
Biography
Rebecca Rutstein is a multidisciplinary artist whose practice bridges art, science and technology. For over twenty years she has created painting, sculpture, interactive installation and public art inspired by the natural world. Her work sheds light on places and processes hidden from view to foster deeper connection in the face of our climate crisis. As an artist-in-residence, Rutstein’s collaborations with scientists have taken her around the world including eight expeditions at sea and three deep-sea dives to the ocean floor in the Alvin submersible, supported by the National Science Foundation. Her work with oceanographers, ecologists, microbiologists, molecular scientists and planetary geologists give her a unique perspective and broad view of the interconnectedness of all things in the natural world.
A recipient of the Pew Fellowship in the Arts with recognition from the National Endowment for the Arts, her work has been featured on NPR, ABC, NBC, CBS, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, Vice & Vogue magazines. Rutstein has exhibited both nationally and internationally in over thirty solo shows, and her work can be found in more than forty public collections including the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Georgia Museum of Art, Museum of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, National Academy of Sciences, U.S. Department of State, U.S. Consulate in Thailand, and Yale University. She has been invited to speak about her work at over forty institutions including the Barnes Foundation, National Academy of Sciences, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, MIT Media Labs, Stanford, Georgetown and Cornell Universities, and the University of Georgia where she was awarded the Delta Visiting Chair for Global Understanding. Rutstein received a Master of Fine Arts from University of Pennsylvania and a Bachelor of Fine Arts (Magna Cum Laude) from Cornell University. She is represented by the Bridgette Mayer Gallery in Philadelphia.
Artist Statement
The abstract paintings and sculptural installation in my exhibition All the Stars in the Sea are inspired by microscopic webs of interactivity in the deep sea that meditate processes on our planet. More broadly, the work speaks to the interconnectedness of all things in the natural world. It's deeply informed by my ongoing collaborations with scientists: the series 30 Days was created entirely on board a research vessel on an expedition at sea off the coast of Mexico last April. There I had the rare opportunity to take my third dive in a 3-manned submersible more than a mile deep to witness the churning pulse of geologic forces on the seafloor firsthand. The steel sculptural installation Flow was inspired by the hydrothermal plumes we witnessed, and their dispersal of trace metals like iron which flow thousands of miles from the seafloor to the surface, essential to life in both land and sea. Hidden architectures, microbial networks and fractal patterns in nature weave their way into these works.
Harnessing art to connect people with the natural world has given me purpose in the midst of our environmental crisis. Art can be the emotional driver to instill a sense of wonder, inspire empathy, and foster stewardship. A decade ago, I climbed aboard a research vessel for the first time as an artist in residence - eight expeditions later, it is the privilege of my life to transform these humbling experiences into visual worlds that can be shared with the public.
Click on the link below to download Rebecca's CV.