Julia Pomeroy
My figurative paintings analyse our evolving relationships with other people, ourselves, locations and objects. Through an ongoing exploration of colour and light, I exaggerate narratives surrounding the rich energies emitted from contemporary figures within psychologically charged spaces. By using complimentary colour axis’, and techniques to convey ‘glowing’ atmospheres, my paintings contrast the easily missed beauty and nauseating repetitiveness of our everyday. My recent works analysed ideas around self-comforts vs isolation in domestic and public interiors, highlighting our digital consumption and similar contemporary living habits. My chromatic depictions of figures caught in vibrant washes and bursts of marks elevate these interactions between our layered worlds. Commenting on the subjects’ personal thoughts, reactions to their surroundings, textures and patterns, and links between the interior and exterior realms.
I often depict are young, emerging creatives and freelancers practicing self-loving lifestyles and contemporary mantras while focus our digital consumption. They are found in settings of local, independent businesses as well as their own homes. Majority of the figures I have painted are upcoming talents from Leeds working in many areas from music to journalism to art. I have captured these minds in moments of passing, introspection, and indulgence through food, drink and tech in iconic locations throughout Leeds including Belgrave, Manahatta and Kapow Cafe. Overall, building a career out of showcasing those who are unknown and brilliant, rather than the dominating capitalist big-brands and pop culture successes, brings a big sense of purpose to my work.
Moving on from private and public interior locations and having explored isolation, from the pandemic, in a recent body of work, I am now depicting the refuge, peace and magnificence found in nature in contrast. Also I am aiming to question our understanding of climate change, specifically illustrated through extreme weather, and to highlight living in an pandemic-surviving, almost post-nature and digital focused age.
My practice is an overarching process of documenting personal stories and people with universal narratives, elevated with her playful, dynamic colour palettes and representational painting. Artists who Influence my practice are Caroline Walker, Jenna Gibbon, Chloe Wise, Rachel Jones, Doron Langberg, Edvard Munch, Joaquin Sorolla and Pierre Bonnard.
