“The regularity of the lines, patterns and cuts Dault employs pushes up against the individuality stemming from her hand. A strong tension emerges. Her tools work to standardize her gestures but the use of her hand ensures her marks do not read as mechanically fabricated. Her brush strokes refrain from suggesting an emotionally expressive canvas while simultaneously offering new discoveries through colour, texture and scale. ” —Julia Paoli, p13

This catalogue demonstrates Julia Dault's ongoing interest in balancing spontaneous gestures with rules, logic and the constraints of materials.

Physical negotiations are central to the textured paintings and improvised sculptures for which Julia Dault is celebrated. In her multilayered paintings, Dault employs organic and synthetic supports such as canvas, leather, vinyl, spandex and wooden frames, which act as surfaces to hold paint or as a means of imposing patterns. Whether adding or subtracting paint from these materials, she uses unusual tools such as rubber combs and squeegees that standardise her gestures. Repetition and transparency are important to Dault; looked at closely, her paintings reveal the process of their creation.

This publication features texts by Julia Paoli, and Nigel Prince.

Product Information

Publisher: The Power Plant Contemporary Art Gallery; The Contemporary Art Gallery, Vancouver; Black Dog Press

Year: 2019

Pages: 176

Illustrations: Colour