Tracey Snelling is an American contemporary artist, known for her versatile use of media including sculpture, video, photography, and installation. Born in 1970, Snelling's work is deeply influenced by themes of voyeurism, film noir, and the interplay of geographical and architectural elements, capturing the essence of places and the experiences of their people.
Snelling's artistic journey is marked by her innovative approach to creating immersive environments that blend reality with fiction. Her installations often feature scale models and elaborate multimedia elements that evoke urban narratives and cinematic experiences. Notable works include "El Mirador," a small-scale sculpture of an adobe hotel, and "Woman on the Run," a large-scale installation originally commissioned for display in Selfridges, London.
Her work "One Thousand Shacks" (2016) vividly portrays the harsh realities of poverty through a wall of small-scale shacks, reflecting the resilience and hope of those living in challenging conditions. This piece, along with other impactful works, has allowed her to exhibit globally, with her pieces showcased in prestigious venues such as the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, the Museum of Arts and Design in New York, and the Palazzo Reale in Milan.
Snelling has received several accolades for her work, including the Joan Mitchell Foundation Painters & Sculptors Grant in 2015 and residencies such as the one at Künstlerhaus Bethanien in Berlin (2017-18). She divides her time between Oakland, California, and Berlin, Germany, continuing to explore and expand her artistic expression.