Rae Klein's Unconventional Path and Spectral Paintings
Rae Klein, an artist hailing from a small town in Michigan, showcases her artwork online, avoiding the conventional gallery route. After beginning her studies in nursing, she transitioned to painting during her third year at Eastern Michigan University, ultimately graduating in 2017. By 2022, Art News highlighted her substantial Instagram following as an alternative to standard art world qualifications. Klein enjoys working alone in her studio, often inspired by items sourced from eBay and thrift shops. Her paintings depict themes such as candelabras and dogs, creating a unique visual language. Her technique merges control with spontaneity, utilizing earth tones for figures and varied palettes for architectural details. Recurring motifs of doubling and presence/absence are evident in a 2024 piece featuring a dog alongside a woman's face.
Key facts
- Rae Klein is a painter from a small Michigan town.
- She graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2017.
- She never attended graduate school or moved to New York.
- Art News described her in 2022 as lacking typical art world credentials but having a large Instagram following.
- Her paintings use objects from eBay, thrift stores, antique shops, and online auctions.
- Her method balances meticulous planning and impulsive execution.
- A 2024 work features a dog repeated three times, later transformed into a doubled female face as a doppelgänger.
- Animals like dogs, horses, and sphinxes float in monochromatic skies in her paintings.
Entities
Artists
- Rae Klein
Institutions
- Eastern Michigan University
- Art News
Locations
- Michigan
- United States