It is often said that art is autobiographical. I was making work which was pulling on my memories, my family stories, second hand and misremembered narratives all held within the physical space and place, the home where I had grown and lived for most of my life. This sense of belonging was the reason for my desire to return home, to walk in my mums footsteps as a young woman.
I didn’t see myself as a painter to begin with, I struggled with oils, frustrated with what I considered to be an impossible and uncooperative medium which required complex recipes and techniques. Oil paint requires one to spend time with it, getting to know it, making mistakes, failing and relearning is all a part of the process. It’s an extraordinary material with a remarkable history.
I began painting and drawing places. Places which had meaning to me, ambiguous, only obvious to me - not giving too much of myself away. This holding something back and openness of interpretation unexpectedly gave way to others finding their own autobiographies within my work which was how I became an exhibiting artist.
This work represents ten years of personal memories associated with my experience of home, a sense of belonging and personal history. Each painting reveals an unexpected sensory and meaningful encounter, the result of which is abstracted and multidimensional, open to interpretation, imagined spaces which may prompt the viewer to reflect on their own experience of what it is to be human.
We have been showing Julie’s work since 2015 when we saw her magnificent canvases at her Degree Show at Plymouth College of Art. This year it seems timely to look back at her unique – and astonishing – journey. Back to the days of being a student, through to stepping out into her own studio at Royal William Yard, to now when she has become a sought-after artist in her own right. Julie’s story is one of sheer hard work, determination and aspiration. Her paintings mesmerize and captivate, taking you into a realm of wonder and memory, where you can create your own story, and recreate history.
Further reading : Interview with Julie in AUP Press here
