As a non-artist, I am fascinated by the process of creation. How it happens… how long it takes…how hard it is… how much is planned and how much is spontaneous. As a result I go crazy when artists reveal a bit of the behind the scenes like Julie Evans did for her show Cowdust at Julie Saul. It makes me feel like I can, in some small way, experience what it is to create something so unique.
In Cowdust Evans collaborated with friend and Indian miniature painter, Ajay Sharma, who she met while studying the tradition of miniature painting on a Fulbright in Jaipur. The eight paintings the two created are a marvel – intersecting two different style and cultural imagery in a way that is cohesive and inspiring.
The resulting eight works are neither abstract nor narrative. They each contain a floating central form – a surprising amalgam that combines the subtlety of Evans’ poured, ephemeral grounds and close attention to detail with the exquisite refinement of Sharma’s precise hand… They were able to negotiate the artistic gaps in their differing styles to stunning effect, with their separate voices distinctly evident in most places, while in others they are fluidly fused. – Julie Saul
