Jessica Ocaña
http://www.absolutemagazine.com/absolute.php?absolute=art&id=124
As Julie Bourgeois confirmed herself, “there are plenty of good
artists in Marbella”, the main problem is they don't have a great deal
of exposure. However, in attempt to celebrate local culture, this month
Absolute Mabella features one of the many talented artists in the area and
presents her unique superimpostionism techniques.
Located in a loft-style workshop on Marbella's busy industrial estate is the French- Canadian artist Julie Bourgeois. Although the façade of the building is a little dishevelled and the presence of so many major automobile retailers a little bemusing, Julie's working environment is an artist's haven. Taking up the entire first-floor unit above the Audi showroom, Julie's working space includes a stunning roof top terrace, which is haphazardly decorated with outdoor furniture and objects d'art, and boasts surprisingly beautiful views of Marbella's beachfront below. Inside the warehouse unit are numerous of Julie's works of art, which like any art pieces should be seen first hand to be truly appreciated. It was here, on a stiflingly hot day in July, that Absolute met up with Julie to talk about her work and find out a little more about this inspiring local artist.
“Superimpositionism is a technique I love,” stated Julie. Taken from the word superimpose, Superimpositionism is based on the idea of laying or placing something on or over something else, it also involves adding distinct features or unusual elements. A modern art technique, Superimpositionism in Julie's art is transferred onto transparent sheets of material (usually plastic) and plays with the use of natural or artificial light to create transparency and reflections. “You can superimpose drawings, texts, pictures, fabrics, photographs… and depending on the light, the superimposition changes. It shows the different levels of what I am trying to express,” said Julie, and when you spend more than half an hour with this inspiring artist, you realise she has a lot to express. Her imagination, sensitivity and capacity for creativity are astounding. So, when exactly did Julie's journey of artistic discovery begin? “I've come a long way,” sighed Julie, “that would be a whole article. I've lived in several countries because I like to travel. I had two passions when I was younger, which were art and travel. I started studying and working in art – all different kinds of disciplines not only plastic arts – I explored literature, music, theatre and I've also worked on filmmaking projects. But, although I loved what I did, I began to travel and fell in love with it.” It wasn't until the birth of her daughter that Julie decided to settle, and due to climate reasons and a genuine love of Spanish culture and art, she chose Marbella. “I've been in Marbella for four years and I've been working on transparency and the notion of superimpositionism for six,” said Julie. She went on, “For me the experience of superimpositionism reflects my life absolutely. We are mums, we are workers, we have families, we travel – our lives, like the notion of superimpositionism, are layered. For example, if I ask you if you believe in fatality you're going to say either “yes” or “no”, based on your experiences, or layers. If I ask you in a year, you're answer might have changed.”
To the initial onlooker, Julie's artwork may seem abstract, but as she is able to fully explain the raison d'être of her work in such a way that it becomes immediately clear, it is, as she underlined, far from the abstract genre. “I don't want to be abstract. I'm not into working with textures or effects. Even if my paintings seem abstract, if you had them explained, you would see what was there,” she said.
Apart from the very introspective aspect of her work, Julie Bourgeois also works on commission, where she confesses, “for me commissions mean that I don't have to look into myself for inspiration. I look into someone else and try and use my technique and my way of doing things to express someone else's feelings. It's not that I make an opinion of that person. My objective is to understand what that person is feeling.” However, Julie's commissions do not solely include portrait work she has also worked on interior design projects. One such project includes a large stained glass window for the Spanish architect Pablo de Mena Owens, who is one of the many people to have supported Julie's work. Such is the popularity of the Bourgeois pieces that Julie has commissioned work all over Europe and even in the Middle East and she is more than willing to work on-site for large art projects. However, you needn't go to far to see one of her pieces on permanent display, as at a well-known restaurant in Gibraltar her Claus on the Rock piece is hanging for all to see.
As far as the future is concerned, Julie plans to continue developing her work on superimpositionism. One of the relatively new facets to this ongoing project is Julie’s experiment with sound and image. Indeed, if you visit Julie's website you will find examples of her work with their associated sound. Julie explained, “I am allured by the idea that part of the identity of each work is available only on the web. It doesn't matter what voyage my work will take physically, whether it is hung in a gallery, becomes a window dominating a grandiose staircase or a dramatic image on the wall of a nightclub, it maintains the secrecy of its sound on the internet. It needs the internet to live. This opens a new universe for me, experimenting not only with its image, but also with its breath.” In addition to her extensive creative projects, Julie will also be displaying some of her work at the House of Art in the Marbella Club at the end of August. z
