Noticing the unobserved, bringing out the beauty of even the most mundane of objects, and expressing ideas aesthetically are artistic traits evident in the work of Assistant Professor Rachel Hines, who joined the Department of Fine Arts and Art History in September 2009. Inspired by the fairytale, Hansel and Gretel, Follow Me, one of Hines's recent photographs, shown here, is one example of these artistic traits.

“The stones, unlike bread-crumbs, leave a reliable trace. As I continue to move from place to place I find that I keep leaving friends, family, and communities behind me. This piece asks them to come with me in some way,” said Hines who invariably translates her ideas into art.

“This summer I will get my private pilot's license, learning how to fly light-weight planes so that I might take my viewers on their dream flights,” said Hines, revealing that she always had, dreams about flying.

An interdisciplinary artist, Hines often works with themes revolving around absence, community, and intimacy. “It is the omission of an object, feeling, or image that I attempt to capture, so that the content of the work revolves around what appears to be noticeably absent,” she explained. In learning to fly, Hines explores the connection between waking dreams and night dreams, between her conscious and unconscious desires for freedom.

During high school Hines decided to become an artist and teach “in an open, flexible, and more accepting way.” She sees boundless possibilities especially in the field of interdisciplinary art, which can use any media at its disposal. Her work takes shape in performances, actions, objects, paintings, and/or drawings. 

Hines received her bachelor of fine arts in painting with a minor in art history from Oregon State University in 2006; her master’s in fine arts came from New York City’s Pratt Institute in 2008. But even as a student she was involved in teaching and was an adjunct instructor at Montana State University prior to joining AUB.

During the fall, Hines taught Drawing 1; now she is teaching Foundations in Painting and Drawing as well as Figure Painting and Drawing. She is “amazed by the students at AUB; they have heart, enthusiasm, and determination, [are] open to new ideas, receptive to all forms of art, and very interested in debates.”

Hines is married to graphic designer/web programmer, Thomas Hines, and together they have visited all the major art hubs of the Western world. “Now we are delighted to be introduced to the art of the Middle East,” said Hines, who recently returned from a short visit to Cairo.

A vinyasa yoga instructor, Hines also reads about feminist theory, contemporary art, and dog training—for her new dog, Buddy.