Through their group show at Re Institute, Julia Kunin, Barbara Zucker, Meg Lipke, Catherine Hall, and Joanne Howard reflect on how a supportive community and friendship nourish the often solitary act of creating art. Their lives have intersected over many years, and their approach to art cross-pollinates on multiple levels.
Julia Kunin’s sculptures explore themes of sexuality, beauty, growth, and decay, drawing influence from Art Nouveau ceramics and referencing the interplay of body, machine, and architecture through a queer lens. Her iridescent, surreal work has been shaped by her experiences in Hungary and her enduring connections with the artists in this exhibition. Summers in Pecs, Hungary, where she works with expert craftspeople, inform her intricate practice. “Learning from expert plaster carvers, mold-makers, china painters, architectural ceramic experts, and enamel workers is critical to my work,” she explains. She sums up, “I am deeply connected to the artists and Henry Klimowicz, the curator of our show, through my hometown of Burlington, Vermont, and Skowhegan. I couldn’t ask for a better aligning of the stars.”
