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Rachel
Bliss at Ryder University Rider University. Rachel Bliss’ art conveys an intensely expressionistic response to the trials of daily life, especially as she experiences it in a Philadelphia neighborhood that’s a long way from genteel. Her images are forceful and sometimes fierce, particularly when Bliss is addressing actual or perceived injustice. It’s surprising, then, to discover that this most passionate of artists has developed into a successful illustrator. Or to be more precise, that her work has been so adapted by a number of clients, including Time, the New Yorker, Seven Arts magazine and this newspaper. The revelation comes in an exhibition at the Rider University art gallery organized by James Dickinson, a Rider sociology professor, in several sections. One of these consists of works by Bliss that have been used as illustrations. Most of them have appeared in publications, which Dickinson has included in the show so viewers can see the contexts in which the images were used. The emphasis on illustration leads to an obvious insight, that the term itself is usually arbitrary and sometimes silly. As Dickinson observes, Bliss’ illustrations are primarily images she made as independent artworks, rather than as responses to someone else’s thinking. Indeed, her illustrations project as much emotional energy as the sections of the show devoted to portraits and narrative pictures. Dickinson is interested in how contemporary art reflects the transformation of urban environments. He sees Bliss’ art as expressing the tensions of city life, especially in low-income neighborhoods. Her images can be frightening and whimsical at the same time. Some people sport sharp feral teeth, others are birdlike creatures with wings and tiny feet. The richly textured portraits, her most consistently strong works, can be mesmerizing as Byzantine icons. Yet Bliss’ art seems less a reflection of generalized urban angst than personal venting of passionate empathy for victims and society’s downtrodden. Even her illustrations leave toothmarks.
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