Today we’d like to introduce you to Julia Polay.
Julia, we’d love to hear your story and how you got to where you are today both personally and as an artist.
I think every time an artist tries to explain why they became an artist, or what got them to a point where the title “artist” became in-extractable from their being, a great desire to trace timelines and chronicle moments of development seems to be the most logical step. I tend to steer away from explaining my formative time as a creator through the mode of anecdotes. It’s not as if these backgrounds are unimportant, it just seems to me that recalling my experiences can not illustrate the true nature of my “becoming” an artist.
I am a product of my environment, the resources I have been exposed to make me who I am. Sometimes, I’ve described myself as a collector of treasures and stories. I am a hoarder of ideas, images, and techniques. The work I create is a consequence of obsessive interests – the work is a by-product of what I absorb.
People usually ask me how I develop such fantastical worlds or beings, and the only response I have comes in the form of a question – In a reality full of endless inspiration, how could I not celebrate through painting or drawing what I am undeniably fascinated by?
We’d love to hear more about your art. What do you do and why and what do you hope others will take away from your work?
I’m a 2d artist, I make paintings and drawings. I hope to imbue everything I make with the same wonder I felt as a child for nature and art. It’s not difficult to see my inspiration, you don’t look at my work and question what it is I’m in to – I’m very transparent that way.
But I know there will always be a distance between creator/work/viewer. No one can know exactly what I am trying to say with a piece of work, and I wouldn’t want them to do that either. I so much enjoy when people project themselves onto or into my worlds.
My imagery balances between childhood fairytales, classical paintings, pop culture, religious work, and mythologies. All of these mediums translate differently to viewers and I find that dissonance fascinating. I feel just as much a spectator to the experience sometimes like anyone else.
What do you know now that you wished you had learned earlier?
Connect with other artists. Community is important. Stop wasting time trying to define your art, when you could just be making. Don’t forego technique and practice. Be patient with yourself.
Do you have any events or exhibitions coming up? Where would one go to see more of your work? How can people support you and your artwork?
I get shy about putting my work out there, it’s not that I’m too sentimental about it though. I think moving forward with something you love to do so much, and putting it out there in the world invites conflict into that personal space of making. I guess I have a goal of reaching out to more galleries and shows so I can face that tension and criticism to grow my practice.
I love when people like to talk about my art with me, whatever interest or background they may have in it. I post most of my art on Instagram and Facebook, so it is very accessible in a digital platform. I’m working on making more prints and building a shop, so I’ll be following up on those platforms with news about that. I think I’m finally moving towards that step because I’ve been pressured by so many people who actually want to buy my work. That’s a bizarre experience as an artist! I feel very lucky for that.
Contact Info:
- Website: JuliaPolay.com
- Email: juliapolay@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/juliapolay/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JuliaPolay/
Image Credit:
Julia Polay
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