Julia Atkinson British, b. 1943
Screen printing was popularised as an artistic medium in the early 1960s by Andy Warhol who used the medium to capture the American post-war zeitgeist through now iconic works such as the 1962 Marilyn Diptych.
Although screen printing was taken up by prominent pop artists across the Atlantic such as Eduardo Paolozzi and Joe Tilson, in the same context the medium became associated with Op Art principally due to the popularity of artists including Bridget Riley and Victor Vasarely.
Around the same time, Julia Atkinson became the first student at The Slade School of Fine Art to specialise in screen printing, and she won an award for her success with the medium.
Over the following decade, Atkinson's practice centred on the Interchange Series in which the artist's mastery of screen printing reaches its apex. By methodically experimenting with colour combinations within grid formats, and informed by a rigorous study of contemporary colour theory, Atkinson produced tantalising optical illusions that appear to shimmer and pulsate.
Even today, 50 years after they were produced, the screenprints retain their full vibrancy and emanate a futuristic energy, while recalling the techno-utopianism that defined the cultural landscape in the late 20th century.
Artist statement:
Since early childhood I have looked at and collected objects for their colour, pattern and texture, and learning to draw heightened my ability to observe detail and structure. I naturally enjoyed creating new colours through mixing pigments but when I was twenty three I took this further by experimenting with optical colour mixing. Screen printing is the perfect technique for portraying pure flat colour. I experimented with printing and contrasting matt and shiny surfaces, on paper or on fabric, using stripes and geometric shapes and patterns.
- Julia Atkinson, 2013
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INTERCHANGE Series 14, version Grey , 1975
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INTERCHANGE Series 16, version Grey , 1975
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Interchange Series Version Red, Series 11, 17/20, 1975 Sold
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Interchange Series. Orange, Series 24, 1976 Sold
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Interchange Series. Vermillion: Series 14, 1975 Sold
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Interchange, Series 20, Lime green, 1978 Sold
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Interchange, Series 11, Red, 1978 Sold
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Interchange, Series 13, Vermillion, 1977 Sold
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Interchange, Series 23, Orange, 1975 Sold
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Interchange, Series 23, Yellow, 1975 Sold
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Interchange, Series 25, Silver, 1976 Sold
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Interchange, Series 5, Grey, 1975 Sold
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Interchange, Series 9, Silver, 1975 Sold
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Interchange Orange, 1975 Sold
Education & qualifications
- 1964 National Diploma in Painting & Printed Textiles, Canterbury College of Art
- 1967 Diploma in Painting, Slade, London University
- 1969 Higher Diploma in Printmaking, Slade, London University
- 1987 Diploma in Fine Art Textiles (Released from teaching for part time study), Goldsmiths College, London University
Solo exhibitions
- 1969 Collegiate Theatre, London
- 1970 Rourke Gallery, Minnesota
- Lewis & Clarke College, Oregon
- 1980 Rourke Gallery, Minnesota
- Stephen's College, Missouri
- 2000 Sidell Gibson Architects, London
- 2002 Black Swan Arts, Frome
- 2003 Invention Arts, Bath
- The Poetry Place, Covent Garden
- 2004 La Strada, Frome
- Portico Gallery, Salisbury
- 2005 Arc Theatre, Trowbridge
- 2006 Vogan's Mill, London
- 2007 Fat Fowl Restaurant, Bradford on Avon
- 2012 The Parlour, Frome
- 2013 Retrospection: a 50 Year Retrospective at the Victoria Art Gallery, Bath
- Urmson-Burnett Gallery & Studio, Salisbury
Group exhibitions
- 1966/7/8 Young Contemporaries, London
- 1967-87 Shows in England, France, Germany, Japan and the USA. Venues include: Barbican Concourse Gallery, National Theatre, Leighton House and the ICA London, Ikon Gallery Birmingham, 3 Dimensions Gallery California, Gallery U Japan
- 1970 Moorhead State University, Minnesota
- 1971 Portland Art Museum, Oregon
- 1973/4 London Group
- 1973/5 Space Open Studios London
- 1975 Whitechapel Gallery, London
- 1989-90 From Prism To Paintbox Touring Show, UK
- 1996 6 Chapel Row Gallery, Bath
- Bath Festival Fringe
- 1997-99 Fibre Art Synergy Touring Show, France
- 2000 Bath Festival Fringe
- Etc Gallery, Soho
- 2001 Bath Festival Fringe
- 2002/3 Bath Arts Fair, BANA at the Hotbath Gallery
- 2003/5/7/9 Wylve Valley Arts Trail open studio
- 2004 St Algar's Yard, Frome
- 2005 Sherborne House Gallery
- 2008 Art and Architecture shop, Richmond
- BANA at the Bath Royal Literary & Scientific Institute
- 2014 The Plant Project, Young Gallery, Salisbury
- 2016 Trowbridge Arts Centre
International Biennales
- 1968 Bradford
- 1975 Ljubljana
- 1976 Biella, Frechen, Fredrikstad
- 1978 Krakow
- 1980 Krakow (Prize)
- 1983 Cabo Frio
- 1993 Veracruz Mexico
- 1996 1ere du Lin, Haute Normandie
- 1998 1st MX Espace, Barcelona
- 2000 2eme du Lin Contemporain, Paris
Collections
British Council, BP, Barnfield College, Cabo Frio, Eastern Arts, English Courtyard Assocciation, Form International, Government Art Collection, Krakow Museum, Lodz Museum, London Borough of Camden, National Bank of Canada, Salisbury Library & Galleries, The Slade, University College London, William Coldstream
Commissions
- 1971 Lewis & Clarke College Mural 3m x 9m
- 1975-6 British Council Travelling Exhibition on the "Processes of Printmaking"
- 1975 Curated for the Medici Gallery, a show "4 Women Printmakers"
- 1977 Curated for the Plains Art Museum Minnesota, "11 British Printmakers"
Awards
- 1966/69 Slade Prize for Screen Printing
- 1967 Slade Prize for Painting
- 1967 Perugia Art School Scholarship
Teaching appointments
- 1969-70 Moorhead State University, Minnesota
- 1970-71 Lewis & Clarke College, Oregon
- 1976-90 Barnfield College, Luton
- 1980 Stephen's College, Missouri (Lecturer exchange)
Part-time & visiting lectureships
- 1972-91 Anglia Polytechnic, Kent Institute, Kingston Polytechnic, London Institute, Norwich School of Art, Surrey Institute, Wimbledon School of Art
Study tours
- 1971 USA, Japan, SE Asia, Sri Lanka, Nepal, India, Iran, Egypt
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