“I am really interested in memory and the passing of time, expressed in the way objects are changed by natural processes, and the play between natural and man made textures.”

Julia Woli Scott’s paintings of human, plant and animal forms inhabit dream-like, abstracted landscapes. A close and curious observer, she finds source material for her works in the environment around her, often becoming interested in discarded objects — a bundle of dented and rusted chain link fence, agricultural landscapes after harvest, a moth wing caught in a screen. All of these things have been through a process of transformation, whether sudden or slowly unfolding.

Cotton VI (2013), a quiet landscape painted in muted tones, harks to Los Banos cotton fields, full of snapped stalks and soft remnants. Looking at it is a little like opening your eyes to the white light of a hot day and having the color receptors overwhelmed.

Scott takes time on her work, allowing paintings to develop slowly if necessary. Often, she will photograph an object or place that interests her and hold on to the image for a while before deciding to use it as source material for a painting. Her newer works, such as What if all stripped wood is branches (River Study III) (2018) and Tholian Web (2019) hum with color, yet they too are portals to still, quiet spaces.

For more information about the artist or to purchase art work, please visit the artist’s website:
juliawoliscott.studio

BIOGRAPHY

Julia Woli Scott holds both a BA and MA in Studio Art with an emphasis in drawing and painting from California State University, Fresno. Her work has been included in public and private collections and been shown in group, collaborative, and numerous solo exhibitions. Scott’s work was featured in the 2013 Breakthrough exhibition of six up and coming artists with ties to the Central Valley at the Fresno Art Museum. Scott currently works from a studio in downtown Fresno with her partner & collaborator Quinn Bowman. She teaches drawing at Clovis Community College.

This exhibition is presented by the Fresno Yosemite International Airport Arts & Culture program, which aims to welcome travelers to the Central Valley and showcase original works by artists who call this vibrant and diverse region home.