Rebecca Rutstein: All The Stars in the Sea

September 3 – October 19th, 2024

BRIDGETTE MAYER GALLERY
PHILADELPHIA, PA

Artist Talk at Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts
Friday, September 6th, 4:45pm – 5:45pm

Opening Reception at Bridgette Mayer Gallery
Friday, September 6th, 6:00pm – 8:00pm

Gallery Talk with the Barnes Foundation
Contemporaries & Young Professionals
Thursday, September 12th, 5:30pm – 7:30pm

PRESS COVERAGE
The Art Blog
Art Spiel
Dosage Magazine

All The Stars In The Sea marks Rutstein’s tenth solo exhibition with Bridgette Mayer Gallery. The exhibition features nine brand-new, large-scale paintings, two new painting series, and a sculpture installation created from environmentally-conscious materials. Rutstein’s work is celebrated for both its colorful, contemporary nature and its underlying message. Informed by collaborations with scientists around the globe, her practice speaks to the interconnectedness of all things in the natural world. Rutstein’s new series Thirty Days is featured in the exhibition, where she created 30 paintings while on board a research vessel during an expedition at sea off the coast of Mexico last April. There, Rutstein had the rare opportunity to take her third dive in a 3-person submersible more than a mile deep to witness the churning pulse of geologic forces on the seafloor. The steel sculptural installation Flow, made of 500 nickel plated steel discs and biodegradable monofilament, was inspired by the hydrothermal plumes she witnessed, and the dispersal of minerals like iron, which flow thousands of miles from the seafloor to the surface, essential to life in both land and sea.

These experiences inform and enrich Rutstein’s desire to shed light on hidden systems in the natural world and make the invisible visible through the medium of art. She states:

“Grappling with our environmental crisis has become a driving force in my practice. And harnessing art to connect people with the natural world has become my life’s work. Art can be the emotional driver to create a sense of wonder, inspire empathy, and foster stewardship. In 2015 I climbed aboard a research vessel for the first time as an artist in residence. Eight expeditions later, it has been the privilege of my life to transform these humbling experiences into visual worlds that can be shared with the public.”

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More about Flow

Flow was conceived through Rutstein’s explorations at sea and collaborations with scientists who for decades have been researching the dispersion of elements from hydrothermal vents – or fissures – on the ocean floor. It has only been recently discovered that trace metals like iron flow far and wide from these vents, their particles being carried thousands of miles from their seafloor origins to surface waters on the other side of the globe. This iron is a key necessity for microorganisms on the water’s surface to live and produce the oxygen that we humans breathe. In essence, we are connected to the bottom of the ocean through this cycle. By understanding and respecting these infinite connections, we can work towards a more harmonious relationship with nature, a deeper appreciation for the natural world, and a recognition of our responsibility to protect and preserve it.

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This exhibition was funded in part by an Individual Artist Grant from the Joseph Robert Foundation. Rutstein’s residency at sea was made possible through the generous support of the National Science Foundation’s Biological Oceanography Program as well as additional support from the University of Georgia.