Julie Malen

Julie Malen

2012:

My sculptural work compiles imagery across eras to examine the human struggle between moral restraint, and the desire for comfort, power and pleasure. Through this work I seek to examine human nature and it’s relationship to the irony and tragedy of destructive habits in the modern industrialized world.

In my research, I enjoy looking into paintings of historical cultures for topics that relate to modern struggles. For example, 17th century Dutch genre scenes depicted everyday life in the Dutch golden age to show how common people could afford extravagant lifestyles while the society simultaneously struggled with its protestant beliefs in moderation. Comparatively, in modern western society we struggle with the long-term effects of excessive consumerism on the economy, the environment, and our health.

I work with ceramics as a means to discuss industrial processes and fragility. Vitrification of the earth, as a medium for domestic storage, spiritual communication, and decorative arts, has been intertwined with advancement of society from it’s beginning. This perception of the material is something that I embrace as a symbol for industry and advancement, and seek to transcend in order to participate in conversations on a more global scale. I also find the material to be a great communicator of spirit and allegory through form. I often create scenarios combining humorous yet menacing animal characters with iconic domestic items in a traditional narrative format. These animal forms are derivative of 20^th century collectables that commodify classical depictions of nature. Working with clay allows me to embrace this idea of the figurine, vanity, and industry, while giving it an expressive quality in surface and gesture.

2011:

The United States of Happiness

As an object maker, still life enthusiast and retail merchandiser, I have become increasingly interested in the desirable and the discarded. The United States of Happiness series is inspired by indulgent and excessive consumer culture- represented through a collection of imagery combining animal characters with domestic objects. We find joy in allowing ourselves to participate in leisurely habits. My work is both a celebration and moralization of this long debated aspect of human nature.

My process for creating this sculptural series involved producing a collection of plaster slip cast molds of contemporary and historical inspired objects. The art historical objects reflect my interest in the still life tradition, and the contemporary objects showcase my experience with consumerism. I then compiled and abstract this collection into American culinary icons- ice cream, burgers, fries, pies and cakes- in varying levels of organization and chaos. I push for deeper moral and political meaning through scenes acted out by animal characters. Ultimately this provides a humorous palette for reflecting on the over indulgent, over stimulating, mass-produced global condition that we are immersed in.

2010

My interest in ceramics draws me to analyze the life and character of objects. I am drawn to the idea that possessions can retain the story of human existence. As a result, the scenarios I create in clay combine objects, plants, and animals that tell a story metaphorically. The viewer can derive meaning by asking first what the objects represent, and second what the relationship is between them.

Clay is an amorphous and process oriented material that I use to create an impression, not a duplication of reality. The forms of my objects and creatures are based on realism, but I approach the final surfaces loosely to make them more painterly and symbolic. I become lost in creating gestural marks with my fingers and nails. Animal hair becomes as ornamental as the architectural forms that accompany them.

I am also deeply inspired by the still life tradition that emerged as its own genre of painting in the 17^th century in the Netherlands. The Dutch masters painted objects from everyday life to deliver an allegorical and moralizing message.  Often I will reference imagery from that era to support the idea that the objects I make are meant to function symbolically. My research into these 17^th century Dutch paintings also becomes a trajectory for themes I find parallels to in modern society.