Local Artist Scores First Solo Show at 21

Since she was old enough to pick up colored pencils and crayons, Remsenburg resident Julia Christ, 21, has expressed her innate creativity with an artistic vision advanced well beyond her years. Now, for the first time, her vivid paintings and sketches are featured on walls for all to see.

Heading into her senior year at Providence College in Rhode Island, Christ has achieved a milestone in her burgeoning young career —  on Friday, her first, one-woman, solo show, “Rediscovery,” opened at the Remsenburg Academy on South Country Road.

Running through July 1, an opening reception will be held on Friday, June 22 from 5 to 8 p.m. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Sunday from 12 p.m. till 5 p.m.

Vivid and arresting, Christ’s show centers on the depiction of the everyday objects found in the basement or the garage, casting new light upon, and celebrating, the ordinary. The collection of paintings that comprise the exhibit reveal a depth of emotion, a compelling testament to the deep and enduring meaning of memory —  and of home.

“My paintings go back and observe the overlooked, mundane, or hidden that surround my life during any ordinary day at home,” she said. “The shed, an old tire, or the underbelly of a car that I pass by daily. The dusty scooter bike, old lunchbox, and unoccupied dollhouse that are tucked away in our webbed, dirty basement. Through my paintings, I have rediscovered the forgotten and am transported back to the not long-ago past that has already been pushed aside.”

Christ said she has grown up around the objects and places she interpretively expressed in her paintings.

“The inspiration was always there; it just finally came out,” she said.

Christ, a studio art major with a concentration in painting, minors in art history and the paintings in her current exhibit represent her most recent work, which was born during the past year at college under the watchful eye of a painting professor in a learning environment, Christ said.

Artists who inspire, Christ said, include Mark Rothko.

“One doesn’t just look at a Rothko, one has no choice but to completely experience his painting,” she said. “The colors overwhelm you, almost like a trance. I would like to have that power with my own artwork.”

Christ said she connects most deeply to the artists whose work she has seen firsthand, including Rothko, Salvador Dali, and Pablo Picasso; Picasso’s “Guernica,” she said, is “amazing — my absolute favorite.”

After experimenting with many mediums, Christ said oil paint resonates.

“It taught me to loosen up,” she said. “Since it has such a high plasticity, I am able to continuously change and alter the paint I lay down, although I always have to keep myself in check. I never want to overwork a painting which I have the tendency to do.”

Although art is a means of self-expression, Christ said she hesitates to verbally express or discuss her artwork because she doesn’t want to sway the viewer’s “raw experience.” Also, she said, her thoughts and feelings about her work are constantly evolving. But, she added, “Artwork does always take me back to that place of its creation, like a vessel to the past.”

Christ said she is proud to be representing Remsenburg, where she grew up. But the idea of having her first solo, one-woman show at 21 is still a bit surreal.

“‘What? I’m having a solo show?’ That’s what it feels like,” she laughed. “It is amazingly unexpected. I never thought I would get a solo exhibition so soon.” 

Her parents, Dawn and Scott Christ, are proud of their daughter’s accomplishment.

“She has always been a very dedicated artist and has worked very hard for this opportunity,” Dawn said. “We all foresee a wonderful future for her.”

Contemplating her artwork, Christ said there is a message she hopes to to convey: “There's more to painting than just creating something beautiful. Beauty may be created through the process but it should never be the goal; there must always be something more. I hope my audience believes that after walking away from my show.”

Let Patch save you time. Get great local stories like this delivered right to your inbox or smartphone everyday with our free newsletter. Simple, fast sign-up here.