“Our Differences” - Oil on Canvas - 60"x48”
Julia Kirby
Despite Our
Differences
Art is an outlet for me to express the manipulation of reality that a body under pressure experiences. I use bright colors mixed with disturbing lines and forms to represent the juxtaposition between feeling comfortable and distressed. My paintings and screenprints illustrate what would happen if these anxiety creatures came to life
“Cramps” - Oil on Wood – 24”x48”
“Hereditary” - Oil on Canvas - 48”x60”
Artist/Thesis Statement
Anxiety creates truths that aren’t real. When a panicked brain is convinced of something, it becomes a reality. So, what happens when you are convinced your body is attacking itself, jeopardizing your life? It feels like your brain is dangling the safety and comfort of your autonomy off a cliff.
The creatures that populate my work come from underlying anxieties about my body. These anatomical beings move in and out of the landscape, illustrating fluctuating feelings about my health and safety. Some are hidden and dull, yet still available to the viewer; others are begging to be addressed, filled with bright light and color. Like a natural landscape, these thoughts aren’t finite and exist in a world of their own. The uncanny nature of their existence throws logic out the window, leaving a world filled with otherworldly forms sprawled along deserted plains
“Fog” - Screenprint - 26”x20”
“I Have My Mother’s Calves” - Screenprint – 9"X12”
“Embryo” - Screenprint - 8”x10”
