Divinations in Photography

For the Archetypal Tarot Podcast’s special Women’s History Month edition of the podcast, we’re featuring the art and interview of Rachel Phillips!

Though her work doesn’t (yet) appear in the form of tarot decks or grimoires, Rachel’s creations tap into the communicative powers of photo manipulation and the magic that such manipulation has on our own reflections of time, ancestry and the journey of women as both the viewer and viewed.

Rounding out the end of last year, Cyndera had the chance to go and visit Rachel’s exhibition Holding Time, Tracing Light held at San Francisco State University’s School of Art and Design. 

Cyndera at the life-size Ghost Light Theater Projection! She had so much fun playing with shadows and pretending to be part of the art!

 

Cyndera had originally been drawn to Rachel’s artistry in the form of her collection called Divinations.

In the 1860s, Cabinet Cards were all the rage. Having your photograph taken more frequently (not just once or twice a year) allowed for the introduction of photography to the modern world. These pictures on stiff cardboard, often lost the names of the person’s portrait over time, holding just the company of the photographer. In Rachel’s transfer print play, she brings to life once again the faces of the past while dreaming into their “divination” method dictated by imaginative shadows and images:

 

Divination by Celestial Bodies, 2014

 

Divination by Cards, 2014

 

Divination by Sharp Object, 2016

Well, that was an appropriate year for sharp objects, as it turned out, so we are convinced Rachel’s intuition via art work is spot on!

To see Rachel’s full body of work online, visit https://treadwellpress.com/

Stay tuned for the Archetypal Tarot Podcast release of the video for paid subscribers on Substack, where you can catch a glimpse of Rachel Phillips herself, along with her incredible Ghost Light Theater alit in the background!

Also, a very happy birthday to Rachel this month, we're so glad she was born!