Julia Waltzman

Your early interest in fashion design seems to have evolved into a focus on 2D art. What prompted this shift, and how do you see the connection between fashion design and your current artistic practice?

I started learning how to sew and construct garments at nine years old. I relished in the tangible result it gave me, a dress to wear that I made by myself. Before sewing the piece came making its illustration, which is the part I fell in love with the most. It was fascinating to me the way I could use an alcohol marker to indicate the texture of clothing. After years of illustrating, it became entirely what I did. I decided to minor in art in college so I could stay inspired. Now in my current work, I still constantly explore fashion and texture while combining other elements of 2D design, such as surrealist imagery and a general focus on contrast and arrangement.

Womanhood and candid moments are central to your work. Can you share more about the personal experiences or observations that inspire these themes?

Becoming a young woman has its trials and tribulations, so I deal with them through creating drawings I feel I can escape to. I resonate with the women I draw and even though I am not literally them, part of me is. I want my viewer to feel this same sense of connection when she looks at my art. It could be her. Even in the pieces that include something surreal, there is a realistic element from which to pull a feeling of relatability. The moments that inspire me often come from imagining or remembering where I feel I’d rather be.

Julia Waltzman | Right, exactly

Your mixed media works are a blend of acrylic paint, ink, and marker. How do you decide which medium to use for each piece, and what does each medium bring to your creative process?

The choice of medium comes in the moment. It’s what I think will create the most contrast and visual interest. Usually I start in black and white. The ink goes down first so I can see where the color fits best, if I include color at all. I like to keep the characters of the drawings without color so they feel timeless compared to the space they’re in, giving human moments timelessness rather than the physical space in which they exist.

Your pieces seem to combine elements of both abstraction and representation. How do you approach finding the balance between these two styles in your work?

I feel more interested in the combination of abstraction with reality than either element on their own. Moments in life that seem so clear also carry so much abstraction in them. I attempt to represent this concept in subtle ways by giving more attention to the figures than the space they take up.

In your piece “Vending Machine Toss-Up,” the juxtaposition of mundane and surreal elements stands out. Can you talk about your intentions behind blending the ordinary with th unexpected?

This piece is centered around cynicism while being presented through a woman’s chic and nonchalant demeanor. Behind her glasses she peers straight at the viewer, who has the opportunity to jump into a surrealist scene and make their own decision. The gun and sun chips could really be any two objects. Why is she choosing between only these objects? Why would she need to make this type of decision? I want to elicit confusion in the viewer that may slowly become a feeling of resonance as they look longer.

Julia Waltzman | Vending Machine Toss-Up | 2024

How do you feel your work has evolved since you began experimenting with 2D processes, and where do you see it heading in the future?

I think now that I really lean into playing with the blurred lines between reality and abstraction my art has seen a shift. I have been able to explore my style which has been super engaging and inspires me to keep creating. I am more confident in my skills now to imply detail than when I first started, and have honed in on being able to draw what I see around me while staying true to my style. I hope to paint more this year and have a studio space where I create large pieces. I intend to keep producing and not slowing the pace so I can create a vast portfolio with versatile media and subject matter.

What role does experimentation play in your creative process, and how does it influence the final outcome of your artwork?

I am constantly exploring texture in my artwork. I experiment with materials and use them to give my work a tactile feel. I am experimenting the whole time I move through making a piece. Usually I don’t have a set plan, or if I do, I don’t end up following it through. I just go where the drawing takes me as to not limit myself by doubt. Straying from the original image I have in my head for a piece can sometimes be discouraging. I make sure that while making changes in the moment and manipulating aspects of the piece I give myself grace to work freely and experimentally.