Julia Bland "If You Want to Be Free" (revised)

Noon Ashes, 2014

Linen, wool, and oil paint

87 inches x 86 inches

Julia Bland makes a notable New York City debut with “If You Want to Be Free” at On Stellar Rays gallery in a showcase of her large-scale abstract works integrating textiles and painting. By employing knitting, stitching, braiding, weaving, crocheting, gluing and painting in unique ways, she presents the audience with intricate, multi-layered textile abstractions that draw the viewers' attention and stimulates their curiosity.

By stitching oil-painted canvas, woven fabrics, silk, linen and ropes together, Bland utilizes the various textures and transparencies of her materials in creating geometric shapes. The piece “Noon Ashes” (2014), measuring around 7 ft. by 7ft., hangs on the wall like a large tapestry. The linen in contrast to the thickly applied oil paint, next to the netting stitches, cast a faded shadow on the wall, adding depth and a new dimension in the piece. The distinct fabrics delicately stitched together seems to “float” on the wall. As you take a closer look at the front and the sides of the works, the artist’s multi-faceted process becomes more evident.  

Noon Ashes, 2014 (detail)

Linen, wool, and oil paint

87 inches x 86 inches

Bland’s works, with titles like “Noon Ashes” and “Spring Shadow,” appears to evoke country-like, calming mood and emotions. Crisscrossed knots, web-like stitches, the arch-like shapes, and the triangles and aggressive diagonal lines that go through these works also suggest a vast scenic view of nature. In “Noon Ashes” (2014), the bright yellow triangles against soft gray tones, and a faded red color invoke warmth. The symmetrical triangles against the diamond-pattern shapes tucked under an arch suggest calming and meditative emotions. It appears to be that the artist was influenced by panoramic views in the country-side or perhaps she was influenced by a memory or a mythical story—whatever her works represent, the beautifully interwoven fabrics imbue far more than the technical artistry but a sense of spirituality.