Julia Gould has work on view in Burning, Growing, a two-person Exhibition Proposal Series show, through December 8, 2024.
Can you tell us a little about yourself?
I grew up in the Baltimore area, alongside my two brothers. I have been interested in art making from an early age, with great family support. I first started taking art making more seriously upon attending a local magnet high school, George Washington Carver Center for Art and Technology. From there I went to the Maryland Institute College of Art, and now I have a studio in Hampden where I make work. Outside of my Art practice, I train Jiu Jitsu and Judo, weightlift, and tend to my orchid collection.
What kind of art do you make?
I predominantly make oil paintings on linen/ canvas. That being said, it’s all rooted in drawing for me, so I maintain a sketchbook practice for sketching and writing. In addition to paintings on canvas, I make works on paper: monotypes, drawings, intaglio, and lithography. I’m excited to be working on an intaglio print project with Wingate studios at the moment.
What concepts does your art explore?
I am focused on narratives involving interpersonal and environmental themes. I often find inspiration in
classical mythologies and philosophies, where questions about our “Nature” are paramount. I use my
work to question what kind of person I am in relation to others, and the world around me. Sometimes I
focus on the romantic and delicate symbiosis that surrounds us. Sometimes I focus on the heavy footed, clumsy, and occasionally predatory, way we move through the world and
interact with each other.
Where do you make your work?
I make my work in my studio, located in Hampden, Baltimore.
What are your favorite materials to use? Most unusual?
Most of my works are made with oil paint. I generally prefer to paint on linen, with many layers of gesso sanded to a fine grit. I prioritize high chroma translucent paints; non cadmium oranges, quinacridone magentas & violets, windsor blue red shade, phthalocyanines, sap greens, ect… Process wise, I typically start on a white canvas, working in oily passes of light to dark.
What historical and contemporary artists inspire you?
Historical: John Singer Sargent, Peter Paul Rubens, Edouard Manet, Rachel Rausch, Paula Rego, Diego
Valasquez, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin…
Contemporary: Victor Man, Dennis Scholl, Emma Webster, Kyle Dunn, Doron Langberg, Rae Klein,
Elizabeth Glaessner, Colleen Barry, Kyle Staver…
When did you decide you wanted to be an artist?
I was lucky to attend a magnet high school, George Washington Carver Center for Art and Technology.
While there, It became clear that being an artist is what I wanted.