French artist Rachel van der Nacht has remained in New York throughout the pandemic. She took the opportunity to create a set of works in homage to New York nightlife and its most emblematic characters. “Initially, I took photos of the clubs in New York with a friend, but we realized that they were sad and depressing. That’s how I got the idea to draw everything by hand. The clubs, the people…and turning it all into night scenes”she explains.
The soul of nightclubs in drawings
This resulted in the “Night Emperors” project, where she designed eight Manhattan nightclubs in 2020, and their bosses, bartenders, DJs, waiters, regulars, etc., all the individuals who make up the soul of these nocturnal party places. . Colorful characters, both pop and flashy, which contrast with the black and white of the place.
Today, the artist has just launched the Brooklyn edition, and last week inaugurated his first exhibition at the Ponyboy cocktail bar in Greenpoint. She exhibits there a large work bought by the bar, as well as 50 individual portraits for sale.
Credit: @rachelvandernacht
“I chose high places of the New York night, and I drew more than 350 portraits by hand. The night. It was a titanic project, but also a kind of therapy to escape this difficult reality: for the first time, we saw “the city that never sleeps” asleep. It has put so many people in a precarious situation”.
For Rachel van der Nacht, this set of works is a way of calling to order the public authorities who have treated culture as a non-essential sector, whereas it is an integral part of the DNA of the city. Initially, she selected eight famous nightclubs in Manhattan: Lola, Le Bain, Paul’s Baby Grand, Soho Grand, China Chalet, Et Al, Casblanca and The Box. As soon as she posted her works on social media, they went viral, and were bought by Soho Grand and Baby Grand.
Integration into the JR project
The artist then decides to submit his work to JR’s “Inside Out” project, which displays large format portraits of communities all over the world, but the latter only accepts photos. Never mind, she takes pictures of the characters in her works and manages to get the sponsorship. The 50 photo portraits are plastered on the Lower East Side in December 2020.
Credit: @rachelvandernacht
Before being a pure New Yorker, Rachel van der Nacht had a difficult start with the city. “I lived in Berlin and met the founder of a successful creative studio. He explained to me that New York had changed his life and, as I wanted to be like him, I quit my job and left.. She starts a school of visual arts in addition to a remote freelance work, an intense daily life. The first months are difficult, but she hangs on. “In New York, no one is here by chance. This city is incredible because it gives so many opportunities when you are tenacious and determined”. And she tries to make this quote from Mark Twain her own on a daily basis: “the only things you never regret in life are the follies”.
Project of a grand happening d’insomniaques »
As a freelancer, she manages to land artistic creation assignments for Adidas, Nike, Puma and Equinox, and pursues her personal projects in parallel. Last year, she decided to organize her first solo exhibition in Greenpoint, entitled WALL (We All Love Love): “I like the contrast in the colors but also in the subject. My works have an offbeat, sometimes counter-intuitive humor like a cactus or boxers hugging each other.”. One of New York’s most prominent DJs, Eli Escobar, agrees to come and mix to support her, the event is a success.
The artist does not intend to stop there and is looking for partners and sponsors to accompany him in new adventures. His next project? “I would like to print the portrait drawings of Night Emperors in large format and put them up in New York. And take the opportunity to bring together all these emblematic people from these clubs. It would be like a big insomniac happening”she said with a smile.
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