KASINI HOUSE GALLERY
RACHEL TROOPER
PROFILE
Seven Days art critic Marc Awodey described Rachel Trooper as a 21st century folk artist. Trooper makes work using a variety of techniques, including stenciling, wood burning, and carving rubber stamps in addition to painting. She has shown regularly around Burlington since 1998. In 2005, she had a well-received solo show at ArtSpace 150. In August and September 2007, Kasini House exhibited her "Shoot the Moon series" and earlier work.
EXHIBITION
SHOOT THE MOON
by Rachel Trooper
August 29th
to October 6th, 2007
INTERVIEW
Rachel Trooper has shown regularly around Burlington, Vermont since 1998. In 2005, she had a well-received solo show at ArtSpace 150. In May 1999, she was a resident at the Vermont Studio Center. Mark Waskow introduced me to the artist in January 2007 after a Fashion Show at the Green Closet in Winooski. After speaking with her and viewing her work, I agreed to show a new series of paintings. Trooper immediately got to work and the results are the series, “Shoot the Moon.”
To “shoot the moon ” is an American colloquialism that describes the act of creating for oneself an ambitious target, one without much chance of success. Trooper uses this phrase to describe a series of paintings that show the journey of a caged bird as she flies through a house and eventually out a window. The bird is the allegorical representation of the artist. The series shows the bird, having broken free of her cage traveling from room to room.
KADOUR: When we began talking about doing an exhibition of your work, I asked you to create a series of paintings. The result is “Shoot the Moon”. What are these five paintings about?
TROOPER: The paintings are about taking a risk, feeling you’re in a situation you’re not happy about and realizing that you need to change it but don’t know how. It is about figuring your way through a relationship.
KADOUR: Can you walk me through the series of paintings?
TROOPER: The first piece is called First Step. The bird is escaping a birdcage. It thinks it’s free, but it’s not truly free. It’s still in the house. A window is showing the outside world. Outside is what’s possible.
KADOUR: It’s interesting that bird doesn’t immediately fly out the window and the story doesn’t end there. The bird then goes to the next piece. What’s that called?
TROOPER: That’s called Drawn to the Light. The bird is staring up at the chandelier and it’s like when you’re in a relationship and you’re in that happy phase. The shine, the prettiness and the happiness.
KADOUR: And then the next one?
TROOPER: Settling In. The bird is on the bed and you’re settling in to a relationship and you’re getting settled in and comfortable. And again, it’s showing another window where it’s nighttime.
KADOUR: And the bird still doesn’t leave.
TROOPER: No.
KADOUR: The next one is called Trust.
TROOPER: I wanted to do another room. I thought of the bathtub, when you dip your foot into the water, that’s when you really start to trust someone. It’s letting go of that baggage and really trusting.
KADOUR: That brings us to the last piece, which shows the bird flying out the window at night.
TROOPER: It could mean letting go of the relationship or letting go of baggage and letting go of whatever is holding you back and taking a risk of being in a relationship.
KADOUR: So the outside world, outside of this house, is the relationship.
TROOPER: Yes
KADOUR: The series is not necessarily an allegory of breaking up, it’s an allegory of being in a relationship, which is sometimes as hard as breaking up.
TROOPER: Right. It’s about taking risk either way.
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