Julie Marsh is an artist that is originally from Detroit, but grew up in the San Francisco Bay Area. She has always loved old, decaying objects from the past because they evoke the mystery of people and times gone by. In the same way, she is drawn to the extraordinary, finding spiritual depth in the materials we use everyday. After ten years as a painter, Julie has found her outlet in mixed media. She is greatly influenced by the Bay Area’s eclectic, experimental, and accepting culture.
In the (De) Composition series, Julie starts with torn fragments of old postcards, money, and envelopes collected on a trip to Amsterdam. She prints them on different sizes and types of paper. Julie then adds the element of torn cardboard, strings, and cheesecloth to create the effect she is looking for. These elements are chosen because they are humble, conventional materials. These materials create wonderful, unexpected textures when combined with acrylics and medium. Julie experiments in a playful, intuitive way with these elements, where her instincts guide her art making.
Repurposing old and ordinary materials brings new meanings and life to what has been discarded and overlooked. Yet, the old uses and meanings remain, and stories embedded in the new work. These old, discarded materials become the basis for the new, integrated artwork where the old and new merge to become a (De) Composition.