Artist Statement

The natural forms that permeate our world too often become background patterns in our hectic lives. For the most part, people no longer feel the wonder of the complexities and intricacies seen in forms such as a single seedpod. All too often one walks by a scene or object without noticing it. What happens when we slow down to truly notice and examine what is around us? Examining these organic forms allows me to reflect on the human disregard for so many things, while also reflecting on and bringing forth these rhythms of nature that are often unnoticed in our lives. I focus on the beauty I find within these natural forms. I work to bring attention and give power to the subtle changes and cycles in nature, as meaning can be found in the smallest things.

The printmaking processes I use give me an invaluable vocabulary of marks that feeds my thoughts and work. Through using mezzotint and various etching techniques, I am able to achieve a wide range of tones and textures to complement the images and ideas.

Biography

Julie Niskanen spent her first seven years in Greenville, South Carolina, and family moves eventually took her to Newark, Delaware and Chicago, Illinois. She received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Iowa State University in 2005. During the summer of 2003 she lived and studied in Rome, Italy, and traveled around Europe. In 2008, Julie received a Master of Fine Arts in printmaking from the University of South Dakota, where she also managed the fine art gallery and taught drawing classes. Julie now lives in Raleigh, North Carolina, where she works as a professional artist and teaches art courses at Fayetteville Technical Community College and Central Carolina Community College. At Fayetteville Tech she is also helping to get their new printmaking program up and running. Additionally, she teaches printmaking workshops in Raleigh and was recently juried into the Artspace Artists Association in Raleigh and the Washington Printmakers Gallery in Washington, D.C.

Living in so many places and having experienced many different environments have had a significant influence on Julie’s creative work. She uses images from nature to represent changes in both nature as well as her own life. Always stimulated by the contemporary art world, Julie attends conferences and workshops across the country and gives visiting artist workshops at various art centers and universities. Her award-winning work is included in many public and private collections, and has been exhibited extensively in national and international exhibitions, including ones in Yekaterinburg, Russia; Washington D.C.; Los Angeles, California; Hilo, Hawaii; Savannah, Georgia; Raleigh, North Carolina; Fayetteville, North Carolina; and Chicago, IL.