Accomplished in life drawing, her sculptured wire figures concentrate on the expressive & emotional dynamics of human nature.
I have to make things. I have an incredibly visual active mind. This gives me a necessity to create. Home, children, art, myself! Well practiced in life drawing, with an appreciation of the human body and the emotional dynamics of human nature, combined with being originally trained as a jeweller, lead me to experiment with wire as a medium for sculpting the human form, capturing something ephemeral, either emotive or active. My pieces are untitled due to my belief that everyone sees something different in my sculptures and my lack of suggestion leads them to live the moment I portray in their own particular way, therefore expanding my piece of work with every viewer. The translucency and form of my work allows rather dramatic shadows to be cast with the right lighting and depending on the angle can show the three dimensional form on a two dimensional level creating an effect resembling a pencil sketch on the wall.
I use no model and I don’t form the shape around anything. I form each limb and piece by hand and then assemble it in the posture I have decided on. For the smaller pieces I make the whole body first, then pose, using the hair as added emphasis of movement. My satisfaction with the posture can be instantaneous or take days and is important right to the tip of the finger. My sculptures being featureless leaves the posture to say all and the hands are the main vehicle for expressing this feeling. I have discovered that the slightest movement in the angle of the hand or fingers changes everything that the figure is thinking or portraying. Then the hair creates the scene, making all more turbulent, adding movement and tenacity.
My inspiration comes from the human form, but I am also greatly inspired by the different materials I find, this often leading to new ideas.
The wire work keeps me more than busy but I like to try to keep my active mind diverse in it’s creativity. I still make jewellery to commission and enjoy experimenting with painting, drawing and photography, as well as constantly moving on with the sculpture, it being the fundamental side of my work. I am keen to combine mediums and would like to work more on the larger pieces, time and space allowing.
EXHIBITIONS: (galleries marked * are permanently selling my work – scroll down page for details)
2011
The Gallery at Bevere, Worcester. UK*
2010
Joanna May Gallery, Marlborough, UK*
O3 Gallery, Oxford, UK (Metamorphosis Show)
Henley Festival, Henley-on-Thames, UK
Art for Youth, Oxford, UK
Woodstock Arts Festival, UK
AAF, London,UK
Obsidian Art, Bucks, UK*
Cuadros Gallery, Nottingham, UK*
2009
Liscious Interiors/Gallery, Oxford, UK
Public Art commission, London, UK
Joanna Jones Gallery, Bottesford, UK
Azure Gallery, Sidmouth, UK*
Artist in residence, Wheatley Park Art school, UK
2008
The White Gallery, Cheshire, UK*
Oxford Open, MAO, Oxford, UK
O3 Gallery, Oxford, UK
Gallery Top, Derbyshire, UK
The Studio Gallery, Henley-on-Thames, UK*
2007
Morgan Lovell, Soho, London, UK
Harding House Gallery, Lincoln, UK*
The Blue Door Gallery, London, UK
The Portmellon Gallery, Cornwall, UK
Opera Holland Park, London, UK
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford, UK
Oxford Art Society Members Exhibition, Oxford, UK
Gallery 49, Kent, UK
Ferrers Gallery, Ashby de la Zouch, UK
2006
Member of OAS (Oxford Art Society, Est. 1891)
The Craft Centre & Design Gallery, Leeds, UK
Apple Gallery, Surrey, UK
The D’art Gallery, Dartmouth, UK *
Agora Gallery, Soho and Chelsea, New York, USA
Old Chapel Gallery, Leominster, UK *
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford, UK
Morgan-Boyce Contemporary Fine Art, Marlborough, UK
Fisherton Mill Galleries, Salisbury, UK *
Modern Artist Gallery, Berkshire, UK *
2005
EWACC Group exhibition, Light Gallery, London UK
Cirencester Brewery Arts, Glos, UK*
Islington Art and Design Fair, London, UK
Marmalade Gallery, Oxford, UK
Paddon and Paddon, Eastbourne, UK *
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, UK
Dorchester-on-Thames, Festival, Oxfordshire, UK
Artifex, Mitchell Centre for Art and Craft, Birmingham, UK *
Ubergallery, Melbourne, Australia
Opera Holland Park, London, UK
Sculptastic Gallery, London, UK
Liscious Interiors, Oxford, UK
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford, UK
Urban Gardens 2005, Olympia, London, UK
Gallery Nomansland, Scotland, UK
2004
Wolfson College, Oxford University, UK
The Shire Hall Gallery, Stafford, UK
Art in Action Gallery, Waterperry, UK
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, UK
Twist Art & Design launch exhibition, London, UK
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford. UK.
2003
Lee Chapman Gallery, Lake District, UK*
European Makers Gallery, Amsterdam. The Netherlands*
Blue Wing Gallery, Richmond, London. UK.
The Contemporary Craft Movement, Hampstead, London UK
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London, UK.
Rivers Gallery, Glos. UK
Larks Gallery, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, UK*
Oxford Artweeks, Oxford, UK.
2002
Affordable Art Fair, Battersea, London UK
The Contemporary Craft Movement, Hampstead, London UK
Magic Fingers Gallery, Somerset UK*
Woodstock Arts Ltd. Gallery, Oxon UK
The Craft Movement, Bowood House, Calne UK
Oxford Art Weeks, Oxford UK
Pebbles Yard Gallery, Pembrokeshire UK*
The Craft Movement, Chelsea, London, UK
2001
Graves Gallery, Millennium Galleries, Sheffield, UK
Affordable Arts Fair, Battersea, London, UK
Bell Fine Art Gallery, Winchester, UK
Art In Action Gallery, Waterperry, UK*
Oxford Art Weeks, Oxford, UK. This included a window display in Bordersbookshop, city center Oxford
2000
Twist Art & Design, 20th Century Theatre, London
The Chalk House, St Ives, Cornwall, UK
Liscious Interiors, Oxford, UK
We Three Kings Contemporary Arts, Witney, UK*
Veranda Gallery, Oxford, UK*
Taurus Gallery, Oxford, UK
Oxford Art Weeks, UK
1996-1999
Jericho Café, Oxford, UK
Freud Art Café, Oxford, UK
Café Something, Oxford, UK
Dust Bar, London, UK.
PRIVATE COMMISSIONS:
Rachel’s work has enhanced the décor of hotels, restaurants, clubs & private homes throughout the UK, Europe & the USA.
These include:
Public Art Commission, London, UK
Andaz Hotel, Liverpool St, London, UK
A prominent display of four figures in the leisure room of a villa in Saudi Arabia.
The ‘focal piece’ for the foyer of the Hilton Hotel, Milan, Italy. commissioned through Project Arts Ltd, London, UK.
A working exhibition for Levi-Strauss & co, as part of their conference in Brussels, Belgium. Arranged by Out of the Blue Productions & management Ltd.
An alternative mannequin, for New York stylist, Nike Booth.
Life-size dynamic figure for a penthouse apartment for Joannah Trading Interiors, London.
Piece for the K+K Hotel Cayre, Paris
Private commission in Hong Kong
REVIEWS:
The Times Newspaper magazine 2005 (by Rob Cassy)
Appearance on ‘Our Home’ Interior Design Program shown on UK Style, Cable & BBC America. 2004.
Feature in Andrew Martin Interior Design Review vol.6 2002. London. UK.
Appearances on Channel 6, Oxford. UK. 2001-2002-2003.
Oxford Times Newspaper.
Subject for various art students final thesis.
ART IN THE COMMUNITY
One of the participants of The Big Arts Week (supported by the BBC and the Art Council of England) voluntarily working at a local school with children with behavioral problems introducing them to the fascinating artistic world.
Reviews:
"Ducker hardly needs to tell us that she feels constantly urged to make and create. Her figures, in the unlikely medium of twined wire, are full of movement, seeming on the verge of flying, with their streaming hair and spread limbs. Even those shown sitting, in meditative poses with relaxed hands, retain a latent energy – and of course that electric wiry hair.
Some are life-size, some tiny, most about a metre high. There are no children. Some are female. One is pregnant. the rest are androgynous, though the Suspended Couple and Chest to Chest pieces might imply another scenario. And that is a tribute to Ducker’s skill, in conveying emotion and character through tiny variations in angles of head, hand or fingers within the constricting limits of coiled wire. In contrast stability is provided by solid lead feet, which often look endearingly like Renaissance Florentine shoes."
Jeannine Alton – Oxford Times, May 2005
© All work is copyright the artist, no reproduction without permission.
An Eye Gallery site
