Julia Rush

Artist Statement

The theme of my current work focuses on the concept of security. I want to express various aspects of comfort including the need and longing for it. I also explore the juxtaposition of comfort and discomfort within the same piece. There are ways to take control and establish security while also being in a state of discomfort. I show this in my art as well as in the process of creating the art. Not only do I work in various disciplines of visual art, I often combine those different media to give myself an even wider range in which to express my thesis.

Because comfort is a human desire, I think it’s fitting to include the human figure in some of my work. Sometimes the human figure is the main focus of the piece, however, I am also exploring different themes that relate to comfort so it is not always the body itself that I am focusing on. In some pieces the body is represented but not necessarily shown directly.

Color has become important to my work as well. I wanted to ensure that my use of color had meaning and enhanced my thesis. To this end, I spent some time working only in black and white and then slowly added color back in. I have been working mostly with muted, natural colors such as warm earth tones. I continue to play with this combination of colors because I find it fits my thesis and works with the other aspects of my work.