Julia A. Crucil

My art is primarily concerned with taking my daily ruminations and transforming that creative tension into a manageable form of expression. The practice of using daily experiences as fodder for art has been the one consistent part of my creative process and the best way I've found to get along with myself.

Words and literature have always sparked my imagination. Yet, language cannot always express the most important ideas in the most powerful way. I love words; I am forever fascinated by how imagery and symbolism, metaphor and vocabulary can evoke such powerful reactions. But words often fail me. I notice the negative space in words. So turning towards imagery in a visual culture seemed like a natural process.

For the series of monoprints entitled "The Young Princes"  I've used advertising imagery of the 1950s to comment on themes of family, consumption, everyday actions, and the legacy of an era that continues to define our contemporary culture. The children of the 1950s saw one of the largest cultural changes in North American culture of any other period- from civil rights and women's liberation to post-war politics, and rapid changes in technology. 

But the promises of 1950s advertising didn't live up to the dream of the future.  Instead of silver space suits or hover-cars, we have Viagra and iPods.  This project investigates the cultural connections between 1950s and our own world, using children as the star.  As I've explored the topic, it has mutated into an examination of the nuclear family, the pharmaceutical industry, and the values we pass on to our children.

I've maintained a very eclectic approach to art, exploring various media and experimenting with techniques.  Print making is my first love, especially screen printing and woodblocks.