Profile of an Artist: Julie Goldstein

The first time I saw Julie’s work was in my former, pre-mom life. I was working for SG: Surf, Snow, Skate Girl Magazine and the editors were all abuzz about this hot female artist. I saw photos of her work and was taken aback. Julie does mostly woodcut printing and there was something about the vibrant colors and graceful lines of the surfer, juxtaposing with the roughness of the wood that really spoke to me. I immediately loved her stuff, and when I found out she was having a show at The Surf Gallery in Laguna Beach, I was excited to see her art in person. Well, as small as the world is, it turned out that Julie was friends with some of my friends, so I actually got to meet her. And, she’s as cool as her art. Perfect point–this past New Year’s Eve Julie got a call that her studio was on fire. She ended up losing EVERYTHING. What does she do? Pack her husband and Newfoundland in the car and drive cross country from Long Beach Island, NJ to California. She is now settled in, loving life, and working on her new collection–which just so happens to have a lot of red and black (ummm, fire and smoke?) in it. Read on to get to know Julie and her work . . . –Alex

Where do you look for inspiration?
I am inspired by fearless women and am interested in their relationships with their surroundings. My themes often explore empowerment, maternal protection, independence, and nurturing. I also enjoy a little bit of humor and cynicism.  I combine woodcut, found fabric, drawing, painting and traditional sewing techniques to construct images which come from my personal experiences.

Which mediums do you work in? Which do you prefer?
I love the process of woodcut printmaking.  I start by creating a drawing onto the wood.  Then I carve or jigsaw the negative spaces.  From there I use grinders, and tools to create texture in the wood.  Once the wood is finished carving I prepare to print.  Printing is the most important part.  I prepare my cotton paper or fabric, depending on the edition of prints I want to create. I roll oil based printing inks onto the woodcuts.  Then I place the paper onto the surface.  I use wooden spoons to rub over the surface of the paper.  I check frequently under the paper as I am printing to make sure the paper is absorbing the inks.  Lastly, I pull the print.  Most print makers use printing presses, but because my work is so large I have to print with wooden spoons.  Personally, I prefer this technique because I have more control over the lights and darks in the prints.

In what style do you consider your works to be? For example, modernist, surrealist, etc?
The style of art that I create is difficult to describe.  I think the pieces are surreal in a lot of ways, yet realistic in the way that I portray the women that I draw.  My focus throughout my studies have been German Expressionism and Japanese woodcut.  There is a cross over between the two genres of art.

Is there a particular artist whose works have inspired you?
I am mostly inspired by my personal experiences, I really enjoy looking at art and easily get inspired by other peoples work.  I have been mostly inspired by Antonio Frasconi, the artists at Hatch Show Print, Frieda Kahlo, Margaret Killgallen, Cy Twombly, Robert Motherwell and most recently Robyn O’Neil.

Of your own work, do you have a favorite piece?
My new favorite piece is from the “Swim with Me” series.  It is a body of work that I am currently working on.  These pieces are inspired by my loss from a fire I recently had in my studio.  I lost most of my woodcuts that I have created over the past ten years.  The colored pieces in this work are printed from salvaged woodblocks from the fire and jig-sawed pieces from the  woodcuts that I created in my “Mother +Child” series.  I used these pieces of wood to create color, movement, and a feeling of water, swimming, independence and energy.

About Julie: Julie Goldstein’s art practice draws inspiration from the natural environment, the sea, surf culture, and experiences from her travels. In multimedia works on paper and fabric, she mixes lithographic and woodcut printmaking techniques with sewing, embroidery, and other traditional “women’s arts”—the result is a hybrid, contemporary style with urban motifs and lively depictions of friends and family. She has exhibited widely on the West and East coasts since 1998, including solo shows in 2008 at Lump Gallery in Raleigh, NC, Montanaro Gallery in Newport, RI and Plum Element Gallery in Charleston, SC and is preparing for solo exhibitions at the Escape Gallery, Bordeaux, France, The Surf Gallery, Laguna Beach, CA and Eric Phleger Gallery, Leucadia, CA.   She also participated in the 2007 international group shows RoxyJam, Biarritz, France; The Greenroom Festival, Osaka, Japan; and Festival Almasurf, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Julie was  selected in 2007 to participate in Virgin Mobile USA’s RE*Generation Gallery benefiting homeless youth and The Happening art/film/music festivals in Newport Beach, CA, Australia, Japan, France, England and New York City. Her work has appeared in NYLON Magazine, SG: Surf, Snow, Skate Girl Magazine (2005), the website Daily Candy.com, Drift Magazine, NEast Magazine and has received honors from the Long Beach Island Foundation for the Arts and the Printmaking Council of New Jersey. She currently lives and works in Cardiff, California. Julie can be reached at juliegoldstein1@gmail.com or click here for her website.

Want Breezy Mama to arrive in your e-mail in-box? It’s free! Click here.