Julie Umerle ‘Rewind’

London-based artist Julie Umerle creates works that investigate the relationship between materials and the perception of the image. Her investigation focuses on the balance between precision and chance, exploring the materiality of paint and the processes of abstract painting. Pressure of the brush, viscosity of paint and speed of application are just some of the variables that play a part in her mark-making process.
Umerle’s paintings are often created in open-ended series with new works being inspired by previous ones. The exhibition was made possible thanks to an award from Art Council England for a period of research and development in her practice. It will feature the Rewind series of paintings and the Transoxide series of works on paper, as well as a group of large canvases. The Rewind series is characterised by unprimed canvases, emphasising the simplicity of the image. The most immediate element of the work is actually the object itself, positioned very close to the edges of the canvas. The Transoxide series is instead developed on wet stretched paper, where coloured grounds are layered with white paint and marks of black ink. The series continues Umerle’s ongoing investigation into materials, focusing particularly on the organic qualities of the ink and on the different responses of the various surfaces.
A catalogue is being published for the exhibition, with an essay by Anna McNay.

The following events will take place at Art Bermondsey Project Space in conjunction with the exhibition:
Saturday 3 September 2-4pm – Book reading – Julie Umerle will be reading passages from the manuscript of ‘Art, Life and Everything’, to be followed by a conversation with Anna McNay.

Friday 9 September 6.30 – 7.30 – British Sign Language tour of the exhibition in association with Shape Arts. To book a place, RSVP to andrew@shapearts.org.uk.
More information available at http://bit.ly/29VNqwC

Installation views by Peter Abrahams