
Julie York
Julie York is an Assistant Professor of Visual Arts and Material Practice at Emily Carr University, where she teaches in the Ceramics Department. She grew up in the Vancouver area, beginning her studies with David Lloyd at Kwantlen College and graduating from Emily Carr Institute. She received her MFA from New York State College of Ceramics at Alfred and subsequently held fellowships and residencies at the Clay Studio in Philadelphia and at the International Ceramic Research Centre, Guldagergaard, in Skaelskor, Denmark. Her work has appeared in numerous solo and group exhibitions across the United States. In 2007, she was awarded the prestigious Pew Fellowship in the Arts, which enabled her to focus intensively on new studio work.

reflectionnoitcelfer (detail), 2010, wood, metal, clay
York’s interest in industrial materials often takes her to scrap yards in search of interesting new forms. She is particularly alert to the impact humans make on the natural world. Travelling in China, she researched contemporary ceramic manufacturing sites such as Fuping rather than historical centres of handmade ceramics such as Jingdezhen. Her focus on industrial forms and use of slip-casting ensure a strong resonance between the conceptual core of her work and the materials and processes with which she manifests her ideas.

View, 2006, porcelain, glass, plastic
Her most recent work, reflectionnoitcelfer, exhibited at the Pentimenti Gallery in Philadelphia in 2010, represents a new and exciting direction for the artist. Rather than encasing or submerging her forms, she incorporates them into tableaus reminiscent of seventeenth-century Dutch still life vanitas paintings. The individual works incorporate domestic forms resembling bowls, salt cellars and table sculptures arranged on staggered wooden platforms. Curved sheets of stainless steel back these seemingly simple arrangements, confounding vision and perception. The objects are imperfectly reflected in the steel’s mirror-like surface, creating dynamic and complex assemblages that speak compellingly to the passage of time, materiality and the body.
Julie York’s work with a range of materials expands the ceramic dialogue. Her lecture on Wednesday, October 13 will discuss the trajectory of her artistic career and her ongoing efforts to marry concept with process and form. Her lecture is free and open to the public, and we look forward to seeing you there.
Note: Examples of Julie York’s latest work may be viewed on the Pentimenti Gallery website, and an excellent short video produced by the Pew Foundation is available online.