Works by Julie Harris Exhibited at NPML
Friends of the New Providence Memorial Library
The Friends of the New Providence Memorial Library are excited to present the works of Julie Harris in the Conti Family Community Room and the front reading area. Her most recent works focus on clothing as art objects, some even formed from handmade paper, creating an interplay of juxtaposed images and objects that are printed or sewn into the clothing.
Julie creates visual metaphors with her materials and uses the interweaving of the imagery to create visual poetry. She enjoys working with clothing articles and natural forms, especially materials that are old, used, and worn, such as abandoned old photographs and clothing from days gone by. She is interested in the stories that materials hold and who has touched them before. She also loves the fragility of the materials and how they must be handled with care, like fragments of memories that get lost.
Julie Harris is an accomplished artist with an impressive resume, who is presently head of Printmaking at Kean University. She earned an M.F.A. in Printmaking, Summa Cum Laude, at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, after her B.F.A. in Drawing, Magna Cum Laude, from Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. She has been in over two hundred regional, national and international shows, including a solo exhibition at BSB Gallery in Trenton, New Jersey, and notable traveling shows, such as “A Complex Weave: Women and Identity in Contemporary Art,” and “Underneath it All,” in Washington D.C. and in Soho New York City.
Julie’s creative work has focused upon the integration of silkscreen, collage, photo-intaglio, and handmade paper. Her imagery centers upon creating visual narratives through the juxtaposition of found objects and printed imagery. Her works remind one that, as one travels through life, objects are collected along the way to represent places, humor, feelings, and experiences.
Her materials, handmade paper, cloth, and natural objects, are loaded with their own symbolic meaning. Handmade paper is typically used to imply a skin-like reference which symbolically suggests the dichotomy of vulnerability and resilience. Objects are often embedded into the paper prior to printing as a way to add another layer of meaning to the finished work. The handmade paper gown series addresses the innocence and purity of a child’s spirit. Translucent and diaphanous handmade paper has random texture and thickness, making these gowns very delicate.
The Friends of the New Providence Memorial Library is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization whose mission is to raise awareness and funds, as well as advocate for, the New Providence Memorial Library. Sponsorship also includes the music concerts, Museum Pass program, movie licenses to allow the library to screen feature films, special events and programming for all ages, and funding for improvements such as painting, lighting, furniture, and shelving. The Friends organize the Annual Craft Fair which will return this fall.
