BARBARA RACHKO
"Each work within Bolivianos opens a space in which the inanimate, the beholder, the artist, the maker, and the viewer co-exist."
Beyond the Uncanny: Barbara Rachko's Bolivianos and the Reconfiguration of Spectatorship
In one influential essay, On the Marionette Theater (1810), Heinrich von Kleist presents the marionette as the very image of innocence: "Grace appears most purely in that human form which either has no consciousness or an infinite consciousness. That is, in the puppet or in the god." Similarly, in "The Philosophy of Toys" (1853), Charles Baudelaire ponders the paradox of an inert figure endowed with a special force, here from the vantage point of the child, for whom the toy represents not only "the first concrete example of art" but also "the first metaphysical stirring." Finally, a few years later, in "The Uncanny" (1919), Sigmund Freud theorizes the ambivalence that such figures so often incite. Prompted in part by E.T.A. Hoffmann's famous tales about automata, Freud argues that these objects produce a confusion between the animate and the inanimate, the human and the inhuman, which we register as eerie or uncanny because they suggest that what is most alien to us—like death—is sometimes evoked by what is most familiar, such as a favorite doll.
In this manner, figures such as marionettes and automata came to represent nearly opposite values: on the one hand, the principles of rationality and causality championed by the Enlightenment, and on the other, the experiences of the irrational and the marvelous explored by Romantics such as Hoffmann. These divergent associations persisted throughout the modernist period. In Futurism, Constructivism, and the Bauhaus, these figures often appear sleek and almost perfect, becoming avatars of a new (super)human to come, while in Dada, Surrealism, and Neue Sachlichkeit, they are typically broken and fragmentary, as though assembled from discordant parts in a bitter riposte to the technological ideals promoted by the former movements. Yet these multiple interpretations, theories, and reactions ultimately precipitate toward one aspect of the object-human relationship: that of authority and victim, in which the marionette holds authority while the human either pedestalizes the figurine or ripostes its existence. Through her ongoing Bolivianos series, Barbara Rachko challenges this naïve belief that the relationship between humans and figurines, particularly in the wake of intensive industrialization and consumerism, can merely be one of authority and victimhood. The series emerges, on one hand, as a response to a fundamental yet critical question within Freudian theorization: who or what occupies the position of the patient (victim)—the figures, the maker, the beholder (for example, a child), or some combination or relay of all these? "No one!" (As Barbara steps ahead with Bolivianos) On the other hand, Bolivianos advances the French philosopher Sarah Kofman's observation that "Art frees the artist from his fantasies..." by freeing the viewer from the "gaze" of the figurines, thereby re-establishing the authentic meaning of the "viewer"—a person who looks at or inspects something—as opposed to the condition of objectifying, discussed later in this article.
[2] Harbinger , 2024. Soft Pastel on Sandpaper - 66 x 51 cm, Framed - 80 x 72 cm
Rachko's trajectory toward the development of the Bolivianos series is marked by her travels to La Paz, Bolivia. Drawing an analogy here, just as Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse, beginning in late 1906, were prepared to learn from African masks and figures, Rachko, from 2017 onward, was ready to begin her research on the Bolivian masks and their descriptive functions. In the short documentary film "Barbara Rachko's True Grit" (2023), she euphorically reflects on how her visit to the La Paz Museum and her interactions with the Bolivian makers of these cultural masks and figurines became a defining moment in her artistic career, marking the birth of Bolivianos. It was Barbara's incredible "grit" that enabled her to merge these cultural masks with the medium of pastel; to document three-dimensional masks upon sandpaper while carving a critical point of view as a sculptor does; to bring what had been archived within the museum into the "light" of the contemporary; and to extend Carl Jung's philosophy of the "collective unconscious" by fusing the contextual functionality of these Bolivian masks from South America within the framework of New York's "New Vision," including the influence of fast-speed films.
Bolivianos might suggest that Barbara belongs to the Jungian universe, while the figurines she documents suggest that she develops the "expressive" qualities infused in Paul Klee's hand puppets made for his young son, Felix. She meticulously establishes a single subject within each frame of Bolivianos. The shimmering effect of light on Rachko's figurines, together with the manner in which the masks materialize against the black background representing an imaginary space, gives Bolivianos an impression of "newness"—a paradoxical existence for these "old" masks. At the same time, the black background functions like a plane resembling the museum space that houses the masks. Enclosed within a wooden box-like frame painted red, the works in Bolivianos are double-mounted to add further depth to their subjects. Particular attention is required for details in works such as The Champ [1], Harbinger [2], Poseur [3], Showman [4], and Oblate [5], where the viewer's gaze meets the side of the figurine's face. In this way, the American artist not only protects the historical masks from objectification by the viewer but also welcomes these figurines into the realm of spectatorship, opening contemporary space for their signification to co-exist. For instance, Harbinger is an intuitive representation of the Máscara de Cóndor. An Andean animal inhabiting the Alax Pacha, or sky, it appears in pairs before the other dancers, "announcing" the arrival of the Diablada to the audience. Through this work, Rachko alerts viewers by "announcing" the consequences of occupying an institutional position. Thus, Rachko neither accepts nor rejects the rationalism of authorship. She neither repudiates nor embraces the controlled interpretation of history. With Harbinger, she merely "announces."
[3] Poseur, 2019. Soft Pastel on Sandpaper - 147 x 97 cm, Framed 178 x 127 cm
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[4] Showman , 2025. Soft Pastel on Sandpaper - 66 x 51 cm, Framed - 80 x 72 cm
Each time, the emphasis falls upon a problem of seeing: the subjectivity of the beholder. This is where "The Uncanny" has the most to offer in interpreting the relationship between the inanimate and humans. Its account of the effects of these objects upon the beholder places the former in the position of the "analyst" and the latter in the position of the "analysed." Such a rigid psychic structure risks allowing psychopathology, desires, fears, resentment, and reactions to shape a society fascinated with trauma. The psychoanalytic critic Leo Bersani reminded us that our "moments of theoretical collapse" may be inseparable from our moments of "psychoanalytic truth."
Ninety-eight years after "The Uncanny", Barbara rises to challenge this institutional relationship. She entrusts Bolivianos with a role to perform even amidst today's distorted environment: the figures do not merely emerge from historical space; rather, each work within Bolivianos opens a space in which the inanimate, the beholder, the artist, the maker, and the viewer co-exist. Each frame seeks to reinstate the three fundamental pillars of reality—situation, individual will, and chance. Bolivianos stands as Barbara's response to Freud's "The Uncanny" (1919): it depends upon the individual's willpower to determine how to engage with the inanimate when both encounter one another within the contemporary situation.
- Siddhant Khattri, Partner at Vedica Art Studios and Gallery
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Biography
Barbara Rachko, born in 1953 in Paterson, New Jersey, is a New York-based contemporary painter renowned for her masterful pastel-on-sandpaper compositions that illuminate the vivid cultural iconography of Bolivian Carnival masks. Over the past four decades, she has emerged as a pioneering force in redefining pastel as a significant medium within the fine arts. Her practice combines refined technique with cultural reverence, drawing on visual elements from Bolivian, Mexican, and Guatemalan folk traditions. With a growing international following—including over 220,000 subscribers to her blog Barbara Rachko’s Colored Dust—Rachko continues to shape discourse around the expressive possibilities of pastel art.
Rachko’s recent exhibitions further highlight her sustained artistic impact and global reach. In 2025, her works were presented at La Rupture du Désir, a critically acclaimed group show organized by Vedica Art Studios and Gallery in Paris, France, followed by Unveiling in Mumbai, India, also curated by Vedica. These presentations expanded the dialogue around her powerful visual language and its connections to ritual, myth, and identity. In 2024, Rachko was also represented by Vedica Art Studios and Gallery at the NOISE Media Art Fair in Vienna, Austria—demonstrating the evolving versatility and resonance of her practice in contemporary art circuits.
Known for her signature series such as Bolivianos, Black Paintings, and Domestic Threats, Rachko’s artworks have been exhibited in prominent solo shows across the United States, including at the Joy Pratt Markham Gallery at Walton Arts Center, Louise Jones Brown Gallery at Duke University, Olin Gallery, and La MaMa La Galleria in New York. Her artistic journey is further chronicled in the award-winning documentary Barbara Rachko: True Grit and her autobiographical ebook From Pilot to Painter. With works held in private collections worldwide and a background in photography and fine art training, Barbara Rachko continues to be celebrated as a visionary whose dedication to the pastel medium bridges tradition with innovation.
CV
Born in 1953 in Paterson, New Jersey, USA
Resides and works in New York, USA
Selected Exhibitions
2026 Continuities without Containment, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Paris, France (Group, Upcoming)
2026 Histories Unbound, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Paris, France (Group)
2025 Parasitó, curated by Student Governor at Arts University Plymouth Mr. Donald Britz, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, in collaboration with the Consulate of Mexico in Mumbai, Mumbai, India (Group)
2025 La Rupture du Désir, curated by Student Governor at Arts University Plymouth Mr. Donald Britz, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Paris, France (Group)
2025 Unveiling, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Mumbai, India (Group)
2025 Global Open Studio Visit, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Global (Group)
2025 The Road to Authenticity, Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Artsy (Group)
2023 Winter Wonderland, bG Gallery, Santa Monica, CA, USA (Group)
2023 Artists for the Cure (Breast Cancer Awareness Event), 114 West 71st Arts, New York, NY, USA (Group)
2023 Mythos, The Gallery Space, Rahway, NJ, USA (Group)
2022 The In-Between Space, Riverfront Art Gallery, Yonkers, NY, USA (Group)
Selected Fairs
2024 NOISE Media Art Fair, represented by Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Vienna, Austria
2023 Moon Art Fair Hamburg, The Westin Hamburg, Hamburg, Germany
2021 Vasteras International Art Fair, Galleri SoHo, Vasteras, Sweden
Selected Press
Anastasia Sukhanov, “Pastel, Passion & Perseverance” in .ART Odyssey: Healing Magazine (2026)
Carmela Brunetti & Siddhant Khattri, “Interview to the Artist Barbara Rachko” in ArtonWorld Magazine (2025)
Siddhant Khattri, “Masks, Memory, and Metamorphosis” in Parasitó eBook (2025)
Ksenia Drobyshevskaya, “La Rupture du Désir” in ArtonWorld Magazine (2025)
Artnet Gallery Network, “Mumbai’s Vedica Art Gallery is Fostering Art that Spans the Globe” in Artnet (2025) at [URL]
Haleigh Overseth, “Bold Pastels & Grit” in Franki’s Open Mic Podcast (2025)
Employment Head at Arts University Plymouth, Louise Sharland, “Webinar: Creative Mischief”, works featured, (2025)
Siddhant Khattri & Deepesh Moolchandani, “True Grit in Pastel” in Compounding Square (2024)
Tom May, "Making sense of loss" in creativeboom.com (2024)
John Wisniewski, "Barbara Rachko: A Contemporary Visual Artist" in Cultured Focus Magazine (2024)
The Apricus Podcast, "A Conversation with Barbara Rachko" in spotify.com (2023)
Bold Journey, "Meet Barbara Rachko" in boldjourney.com (2021)
CanvasRebel Magazine "Meet Barbara Rachko" in canvasrebel.com (2021)
Artamour, "Barbara Rachko: Flying Colours" in artamour.in (2021)
Peterdekuster, "The Heroine’s Journey of Barbara Rachko" in theheroinejourney2016.com (2020)
NYAC Studio View, "Barbara Rachko" in nyartistscircle.com (2020)
Elisa Pritzker, “From Pentagon to Painter” in ABC latino Magazine (2018)
Awards
2024 Patterns of Memory (Winner, 2nd), Vedica Art Studios and Gallery, Mumbai, India
Barbara Rachko’s True Grit short documentary film
2023 Newport Beach Film Festival (Audience Award), California, USA
Architecture and Design Award (Best in Category for Art), California, USA
Fine Arts Film Festival (Honorable Mention), Santa Barbara, CA, USA
Montreal Women Film Festival (Nominee), Montreal, Canada
Professional Contribution
2026 Subject of Barbara Rachko’s True Grit Part 2, Short documentary film, directed by Jennifer Cox
2026 Interviewed Vice Minister of Culture, Bolivia
2026 Interviewed Mayor of La Paz, Bolivia
2023 Subject of Barbara Rachko’s True Grit, Short documentary film, directed by Jennifer Cox
2023 Member, International Association of Visual Artists
2017 From Pilot to Painter (eBook), iTunes
2014 From Pilot to Painter (eBook), Amazon
Inventor of a science for mixing pastels together to create new colors.
