At once playful and unsettling, JULIE MAUSKOP’s paintings speak of strange bodies and secret desires. Otherness is at the core of her work, but here and there, the loneliness of these awkward, languid figures lets through glimmers of hope and connection. The artist’s warm palette and expressivity imbue Julie’s take on surrealism with a great deal of affection. One feels at ease among her subjects, just as I did visiting her studio. Currently working from her parents’ home, Julie also spent years in Belgium and the Netherlands before returning to New York.
WHAT IS SOMETHING THAT I WOULD BE SURPRISED TO FIND IN YOUR SPACE?
Since I’m currently painting out of my parents house, there are lots of things you might not expect to find. A ping pong table is still lying around, and there are portfolios with art I made as a kid, in high school and in college. There are containers with fabric left over from an old series of work I did, in which I attached fabric along with paint to canvas.
DESCRIBE YOUR IDEAL WORKSPACE IN THREE WORDS…
Well-lit, spacious, well-stocked.
WHAT’S THE BEST ADVICE YOU’VE BEEN GIVEN AND FROM WHOM?
I choose to mention Einstein, because his discoveries were made as a result of his belief in the imagination rather than knowledge. After painting from life and from what I know, I think I had a breakthrough realization of how the imagination and subconscious can inspire my work. A quote of his I like is: “Do not grow old, no matter how long you live. Never cease to stand like curious children before the great mystery into which we were born.”
WHERE DID YOU FIND THE COURAGE TO FOLLOW YOUR OWN PATH?
I found the courage from my grandma who was a role model for me. She persevered despite the struggles in her life which included surviving Auschwitz. I often found myself on my own path and, as I got older, felt more and more confident in that role.
WHAT IS THE MOST PRODUCTIVE PRACTICAL TIP YOU COULD IMPART ON TO A FELLOW CREATIVE?
If you are excited about what you are painting, that will shine through in the work.
WHAT’S THE ONE PRACTICE THAT HAS CHANGED YOUR LIFE THE MOST? MEDITATION, RUNNING, WRITING, ETC.
Dancing is a practice that greatly changed my life. I started in high school, which was too late to become a dancer, but after being introduced to dance, it remained a passion of mine. My paintings depict movement and are influenced by my thinking about how a dancer might move and express themselves.
Where They’ is a visual documentation of the creative environments of artist & people, that meet during my travels, of homes and studios.
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