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ARTIST STATEMENT
I began the "Dance Marathon" series with the simple intention of communicating the joy of life and movement. Dancers move with partners or alone, expressing internal rhythms and responding to music and each other. The first paintings were of a young couple salsa dancing and then I moved on to other dancing subjects. I wanted the paintings to be less about the idealized prettiness of the dance, and more about the nature of self-expression and human interaction. A dancer's movement through time and space is an idea that I try to convey in the way that I apply the paint. The image of the dancers is static, but I attempt to imply movement with dynamic marks and color choices. In the oil paintings, I build layers of color areas, marks, and brushstrokes, constantly adding and editing. The marks on the surface are meant to add to the sense of space as well as to the sense that there is energy charging through the atmosphere. I create and utilize random marks and unexpected color spots that suggest excitement, spontaneity, and chance. In the "Pool Party" paintings, the two foreground dancers are in slightly different positions in each of the paintings. These acrylic paintings are set up in a series like frames from a motion picture. There is a rhythm that is created with the light and shadows in these paintings as you see them shifting from painting to painting. A dance marathon is a contest in which the winners are the dancers with enough heart to still be on their feet at the end. I would like for these paintings to serve as a reminder of human energy and endurance.
Biography
Julia Katz
EDUCATION
1978 - BFA, Washington University, St. Louis, MO
SOLO EXHIBITIONS
2007 - “Dance Marathon”, Addington Gallery, Chicago, IL
SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2007 - “Highland Park Art Walk 2007”, Anatomically Correct, Highland Park, IL
juried by Aron Packer
AWARDS
2007 - JUROR’S AWARD, Anatomically Correct, “Highland Park Art Walk”, Highland Park, IL
PUBLICATIONS
2008 - Studio Visit Magazine, national juried art book, published by Open Studios Press |