Julie Malen

Julie Malen
Artist Statement

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.