Lake Valley by Rachel Rose
Rachel Rose, Lake Valley (still), 2016. Courtesy of the artist, Pilar Corrias, London and Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York/Rome.
During times of upheaval and hardships, it is natural to look for an escape; a way to disconnect ourselves from the real world, if only for a couple of minutes. The worldwide pandemic of COVID-19 has caused hardship for all people from those who have lost their jobs to those who have lost loved ones. We are also living in a time of grief due to the murder of George Floyd and so many others victim to police brutality. In times like these, it can be hard to find a bright spot; but we still search for that blissful escape.
Rachel Rose, Lake Valley (still), 2016. Courtesy of the artist, Pilar Corrias, London and Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York/Rome.
Rachel Rose, an esteemed artist known for her artistic and beautiful animations, provides us with a magical escape to childhood in her new online exhibition, Lake Valley. Due to the COVID-19 crisis, many museums and galleries are closed, leaving artists with the task of figuring out how to debut their work to the public themselves. Lake Valley is an eight-minute film which Rose published online; allowing patrons of the arts to enjoy her new work in the comfort of their own homes. In this film, she tells a story of childhood wonder and imagination, walking us through a land that is unfamiliar and magical.
Rachel Rose, Lake Valley (still), 2016. Courtesy of the artist, Pilar Corrias, London and Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York/Rome.
Rose used collage and cel animation to make her film come to life. According to Rose, her goal was to produce a film rife with sensory detail: the sounds of waves, birds, and crickets put viewers in this space and allow us to become fully enveloped in the mythical surroundings. Visually, Rose used segments and pictures from nineteenth century children’s’ books and collaged them together. The various textures and bright colors make this film appear like an art project a child might complete, pasting together pieces of paper and colors. Rose tells the story of a mythical pet who journeys from its house to a mythical forest with other mythical animals. The pet’s journey eventually brings the pet back home to its owners, where it belongs. The story speaks to loneliness and the search for personal connection; Rose uses the pet to represent all beings: longing for friendship and comradery. The pet finds connection with the animals it meets along the way as well as within its own home.
Rachel Rose, Lake Valley (still), 2016. Courtesy of the artist, Pilar Corrias, London and Gavin Brown’s enterprise, New York/Rome.
Lake Valley embodies the power of imagination. Rose creates a storybook world for her characters through this dreamy sequence and encourages her viewers to do the same. Childhood stories are often about imagination and finding the magic in the world; Rose brings out the nostalgia in us and takes us back to a time in our lives when things were easy and fun. Instead of choosing to depict the tragedy of the pandemic and the current trauma in our lives, Rose chooses to provide us with an escape into a world that feels better and brighter. The video also imagines a picture of hope for the future. Currently, we are living in troubled times and longing for physical connection, but just like the pet depicted in Lake Valley who finds connection, so shall we one day.
The full video of Lake Valley can be found on the Carnegie Museum of Art’s website.
