Julia Katz

In her newest paintings, Julia Katz continues her exploration of the body in movement. These new works locate the viewer outdoors, in a natural environment, allowing Katz the opportunity to push her gestural, painterly use of the brushstroke to create space and atmosphere through a sophisticated use of color. Says Katz of her work: “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” - Anais Nin My personal practice of Qigong, a Chinese system of physical exercise, has become an influence in recent paintings. According to the National Qigong Association website, “The word Qigong is made up of two Chinese words. Qi is pronounced chee and is usually translated to mean the life force or vital energy that flows through all things in the universe. The second word, Gong, pronounced gung, means accomplishment, or skill that is cultivated through steady practice. Together, Qigong means cultivating energy.” The idea of a vital energy that flows through all things in the universe infuses my paintings. Additionally, I find that the practice of qigong helps me to find the flow of my own intuition. These paintings are meant to be poetic creations of spatial illusion that provide an environment for the figures that move through them. “But we try to pretend, you see, that the external world exists altogether independently of us.” - Alan Watts