Globe by Rachel Hulin

Happy Wednesday collectors! It's Sara. Jen's been chatting with today's super edition-maker, the one and only Rachel Hulin. We've been looking forward to today for quite some time and it's been a pleasure to work with Rachel every step of the way (one of the very best things about my job is the people I get to work with!). It seems as though the two had a lovely talk. You'll find the whole conversation on the blog [below] later today but for now, here's a little bit of what the ladies had to say about the gorgeous Globe.

Jen: Hello my dear! How are you?
Rachel: Hallo! Oh, very excited! Today is the day, you know.
Jen: Seriously, how exciting is this? First off: old skool HHS! I was walking home thinking about the '05 stuff that you showed and how it reminds me of Andrew Wyeth...
[Ed. note: insert lots of good photo talk between Jen and Rachel here.]
It might seem random, but your 20x200 edition reminds me of Tema's White Ice and it's not because there are round things in both of them. I bet you're all... Whaaaa? But check it out!
Rachel: Ha, that's interesting. I love Tema's white horse picture. I wish I took that image (which is my biggest compliment).
Jen: Here's what it is: to me some of the most successful photographs are ones that capture something that I would've totally overlooked if I'd been there myself...
Rachel: ...I look at everything around me as a potential picture. I have been looking at the glowing globe for ten years, and one day I just finally hauled up the tripod and made it.
Jen: With Globe, it's that there's something so universally comforting and familiar about the room that I'm seeing that I can imagine myself in it.
I feel like you took it from the perspective of your bed. Which may or may not be true, but that's the intimacy it has for me.
Rachel: Yeah, that's true actually.
Jen: And it serves to remind me to look around and notice what's familiar, like I was talking about in yesterday's newsletter. And it makes me want to get a cool vintage light-up globe—that's a whole other thing.
But you know, the glowy-ness gives it a cinematic/narrative quality which makes me think of that feeling I get when I walk around the streets of NYC on cold winter nights and peek in people's windows. And everything inside is impossibly warm and cozy and rich.
Rachel: I love anything glowy... I have to say, I love warm tones, I always print things too yellow, I'm so drawn to that feeling.
Jen: I could see how it's baroque-ness is perfect for you: glowy AND glittery.
So how does this particular image relate to your practice overall, at this point in time?
Rachel: It's pretty indicative of where I am right now... I'm making a lot of still-lifes. Some are a bit spooky feeling, like this one, at my grandmother's house. And, this one. I need to update my personal site!
Jen: There's an amazing narrative pull to your work. It's subtle, but strong like ox! It makes me think of the kinds of short stories I grew up reading in The New Yorker. And it also has a very kind-of mid-century feeling to it, but that might be personal.
Rachel: Yeah—I like to think of it as an extension of my writing. I'd love to write a novel with images interspersed. I was always obsessed with The New Yorker fiction imagery.
Jen: There's nothing disaffected about you, or your images, but for some reason it puts J.D. Salinger in mind.
Rachel: I just re-read Franny and Zooey and Raise High the Roof Beam. That's funny.
Jen: But you know, a novel with photographs would be amazing—makes me think of the brilliant Leanne Shapton. Aside from being a totally freaking brilliant artist herself, she's the L in J&L Books AND she's the art editor of the NYT editorial page. I LOVE the idea of a Shapton-esque Rachel Hulin novel avec photographs, but one that's utterly you, of course.
Rachel: Oh yes—any publishers out there, call me!
Jen: Yeah and we can use Globe on the cover!
Rachel: Seriously—I have been thinking about finding a deserted cabin and going at it for a few months. Definitely a goal.
It could be good, I think.
Jen: I think you're on to something with that, I like it.
Well, my dear we could keep talking forever, but I'd prefer to save some of our chitchat for an in-person encounter, over adult beverages.
Rachel: Oh, that is an excellent idea. Let's do that soon.
Jen: Perhaps we'll need to meet soon and clink champagne glasses over the sell-out success of your edition?
I have a feeling we will—and soon!