2012 Contemporary Sculptor of Chicago: Elena Rakochy

Continuing with Contemporary Sculptors of Chicago…
I have not been to Elena Rakochy’s studio. Not Yet!
But have seen many of her work, to get an idea of her nature-inspired art.
In her own words..
My work is primarily organic, inspired by nature and by the natural connections that we have with other people and our surroundings. What most interests me is how relationships that I have with other people, with my community and my environment, and with myself, influence how I make my decisions. How much control do we have over our options and how much is dictated by circumstances beyond our control? How does the mind fit into it all? How much control can I affect?

My sculptures are physical manifestations of the thought patterns that direct my decisions; abstractions of the paths that I follow. These sculptures interact both with the spaces they occupy and the spaces they create: just like people have to consider both their surroundings and the effect they have on what is around them.

I love to take the jumbled up thoughts in my head and translate them into sculptures.
– Elena Rakochy

Elena Rakochy website.. click here..

Images of Elena Rakochy’s works from two exhibitions, both in the year 2012.:
“Process of Scale / Sizing up Sculpture”, at the Ukranian Institute of Modern Art [UIMA], and..
“Form in Flora III”, at the Lincoln Park Conservatory.

“Process of Scale” / Sizing up Sculpture” exhibition was at the Ukranian Institute of Modern Art [UIMA], from October 5 to November 25, 2012. Artists in the exhibition included: Eric Gushee, Jill King, Dean Langworthy, Dusty Folwarczny, Elena Rakochy. The exhibition was curated by Terrence Karpowicz.

“Form in Flora III” exhibition was at Lincoln Park Conservatory in 2012. It was an exhibition of nature related sculptures, by members of, Chicago Sculpture International[CSI], Mid-South Sculpture Alliance, and The Texas Sculpture Group. Curators were Vivian Visser, Jason Verbeek and Steve Meyer. The exhibition was indoors as well as outdoors.The indoor exhibition was spread in all the four rooms of the conservatory – Palm House, Fern Room, orchid House and Show House. The outdoor exhibition was in the Conifer Garden. Elena Rakochy’s sculptures were exhibited indoors in the Palm House of the Lincoln Park Conservatory.