Julia McLain: Junk Drawer
Opens September 19 at The Magnolia Theatre
Please join Ro2 Art Thursday night, September 19, as we celebrate with the artist for the opening of "Junk Drawer," an exhibition of new new and reworked, truly inspired collages by Dallas artist Julia McLain. The show is on view in the Second Floor Bar at Magnolia Theatre in West Village. Works are on view daily from 11am to 10pm.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Julia McLain is a contemporary artist and professional illustrator originally from Denton, Texas. After receiving her Bachelors from The University of Texas, Arlington, McLain began her artistic career as an understudy for Don Ivan Punchantz' at his Sketch Pad Studio. She creates paintings with a contemporary pop sensibility, juxtaposing "old world" imagery and color palates, to create works that jump through perceived realities - using anachronism to create paintings in a style she calls "cutism," where she reassembles the difficult and abstract into safe and sweet compositions.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Once a commercial illustrator, my work graced the pages of nationally syndicated magazines. Later these works laid to rest in flat files along with vintage scrap and junky little toys. In 2007 I was inspired to repurpose these into collages using junk plywood to mount most of them on creating the "JUNK DRAWER SERIES."
Most of my art is worked out in the concept stage but the actual painting process is laborious. This "JUNK DRAWER SERIES;" however, is all about spontaneity. The process has been fun creating new relationships with odd juxtapositions. Visual mutations bend the laws of nature in a playful way causing me to rethink how I make art.
I am constantly asked, "Are these reproductions or actual illustrations?" Each piece contains both! EACH PIECE HAS AT LEAST ONE IF NOT MANY ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS once featured in a nationally known magazine. Most of the scrap is authentic vintage or very high quality archival prints.
-- Julia McLain, 2013
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Julia McLain is a contemporary artist and professional illustrator originally from Denton, Texas. After receiving her Bachelors from The University of Texas, Arlington, McLain began her artistic career as an understudy for Don Ivan Punchantz' at his Sketch Pad Studio. She creates paintings with a contemporary pop sensibility, juxtaposing "old world" imagery and color palates, to create works that jump through perceived realities - using anachronism to create paintings in a style she calls "cutism," where she reassembles the difficult and abstract into safe and sweet compositions.
ARTIST STATEMENT:
Once a commercial illustrator, my work graced the pages of nationally syndicated magazines. Later these works laid to rest in flat files along with vintage scrap and junky little toys. In 2007 I was inspired to repurpose these into collages using junk plywood to mount most of them on creating the "JUNK DRAWER SERIES."
Most of my art is worked out in the concept stage but the actual painting process is laborious. This "JUNK DRAWER SERIES;" however, is all about spontaneity. The process has been fun creating new relationships with odd juxtapositions. Visual mutations bend the laws of nature in a playful way causing me to rethink how I make art.
I am constantly asked, "Are these reproductions or actual illustrations?" Each piece contains both! EACH PIECE HAS AT LEAST ONE IF NOT MANY ORIGINAL ILLUSTRATIONS once featured in a nationally known magazine. Most of the scrap is authentic vintage or very high quality archival prints.
-- Julia McLain, 2013
