Rachel Selekman's mixed-media sculptures and works on paper are distinctly characterized by her labor-intensive and detailed artistry along with her whimsical and complex imagery. Her compositions are created from everyday objects and vintage materials, such as glass beads, buttons, sequins, rhinestones, cord, metallic thread, fabric, and magazine cut-outs, which she meticulously constructs by hand-sewing these materials to paper, adding a new dimension to the surface. The themes are as intricate and involved as the works themselves, many using some of her longstanding motifs (watering cans, hands, crotches and purses) along with newer ones (hourglasses and watch faces). At once her works are delicate and energetic ornamentations, yet weighty and thoughtful captivating the viewer. Selekman's series Fifty, ongoing since 2012 and started before turning fifty, is "about time passing-a new phase beginning and one ending; sadness and loss versus hope and expectation."
