Julie Cockburn analysis

Context 

This collage is from Julie Cockburn's collection called Filling the Cracks With Ceiling Wax, this piece is called Crystal 1 and is obvious as to why the artist called the work Crystal 1 because of the crystal shape that has been created using different triangle shapes. The piece is a collage made out of one photograph. These collages were exhibited in the Flowers Gallery. 

Meaning 

To help with my understanding of her work I have looked at a range of her pieces and have looked at magazine articles which talk about pieces of her work allowing me to give my own interpretation on her work. The basis of her work started off when when she was very young using the punishments that she received from her parents and using the time that she would normally be watching telly vision to, "make up stories from picture books and magazines like a surreal game of consequences."Since continuing her love for this she has used memorabilia that belonged to her, like american beauty queen annuals and school photographs from the 50's, which gives the piece meaning as she is showing us personal items from her past. 

The viewer of the work has to think about whether they are being revealed the absolute truth as lighting and direction can change the appearance of a person and I feel the distorting of the image emphasizes this. The internet can be a very vulnerable place and having details and photos can affect your vulnerability and these collages address this idea, the manipulating of the photograph creates a barrier between the actual photo that they are trying to make out, it divides the then and the now. Something that relates to my pieces is her great use of women in the photographs which intensifies the beauty of the handmade and makes us question whether history is gendered.

Aesthetic

Each photograph has been carefully chosen because of the quality, how old it is and whether it gives off a certain personality that can be worked with. They have been rescued in a way as they are just old photos that have been folded and put away as memorabilia. Cockburn tries to investigate the photograph, whilst searching in her mind for imaginative and innovative ideas, in a way she is having a conversation with herself, like a dialogue with the characters in the photograph. Before cutting up the images she plans her work carefully and makes copies of the originals before working with the original.

Personal response 

I chose to look at this piece because I have been doing something similar and wish to take it further and this artist has inspired me to try this idea with my work using different shapes. I really liked this work when I first saw it, it looks carefully planned and creative. I think this work is quite original as I have never seen anything like this before.