Artist Rebecca Zwanzig blends art history and nostalgia in digital work

Portland-based artist Rebecca Zwanzig, operating under the name High West Wild, creates digital illustrations that draw from a diverse range of historical and personal influences. Her work incorporates elements of Victorian-era textile patterns, antique dishware designs, and the atmospheric tones of the Pacific Northwest.

Zwanzig’s aesthetic is shaped by her upbringing in Kentucky, where early memories of estate sales and auctions inspired an interest in vintage objects and patterns. Her illustrations often utilize symmetry and repetitive motifs reminiscent of the Art Nouveau and Arts and Crafts movements. Additionally, her depictions of natural phenomena, such as insects and crystals, evoke the style of historical natural history texts.

While her primary medium is digital, utilizing tools like Procreate and Adobe Illustrator, her process often begins with hand-drawn sketches. She also incorporates her background in oil painting to explore analog textures, moving between earthy 1970s tones and bright, saturated colors.