ARTIST STATEMENT
My work veers toward the intersection of sculpture, performance, and installation; and is defined by a series of radically disparate multimedia projects unified by their intentional unpredictability, use of unstable materials, and orchestration of situations in which my body and/or a constructed space are subjected to various hazards and forces of disorder. With each piece, my intent—although never completely pre-determined—is to push a range of materials to the limits of their utility, while placing myself in precarious circumstances that simultaneously function as metaphors of emotional/psychic vulnerability and pure demonstrations of intentional disarray. Generally, I make a mess—but it’s a purposeful, highly textured mess. At Woman Made Gallery, I seek to display pieces from “The Dams are Broken”. For this process, I select a volunteer and photograph them in a body position that I direct. I then go around their house and photograph their belongings. These photographs are used as source material to create my paintings. I first draw thick black outlines with black rubber paste on saran wrap. Then, I fill each outline with watery acrylic paint. Next, I break the outlines and let the liquid pour outwards. I was inspired while watching my niece use a coloring book. The black outlines of the coloring book suddenly became the bars of cages, inspiring feelings of isolation and confinement. I imagined breaking the boundaries, letting liquid pour from the ruptures, and setting everyone free. Through this process, the body connects with its surroundings and is released from its confines.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Julia Betts is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2014, Betts graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA and, in 2017, graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with an MFA in Sculpture. Betts has participated in group exhibitions nationally and mounted numerous solo shows at spaces such as Unsmoke Systems (Pittsburgh, PA) and DDDD Pictures (New York, NY). In addition, she completed artist-in-residence programs at Yaddo, Millay Colony for the Arts, and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been invited as the visiting artist at institutions such as Albion College, Montgomery College, Illinois State University, and Columbus State University.
© Julia Betts