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Julie Haseler Reilly
Sculptor-painter
ABOUT JULIE
Julie was born in Brisbane and after travelling the world arrived in Sydney where she was accepted as a student of Acting at the National Institute of Dramatic Art in Sydney.
She had a successful career as an a performer, singer and writer and has always been intrigued by story telling in any form.
She is married and has two adult daughters.
She was accepted as a full time student at N.A.S.
She spent several years in Bali and enjoyed learning about ceramic mediums at Gaya Ceramics Ubud.
She now lives and creates art in Bowral in the Southern Highlands south of Sydney, Australia.
TRAINING
Julie graduated as an actor form the National Institute of Dramatic Art in 1983 where she also nurtured her interest in sculptural forms, including costumes design, props and small beginnings with fired clay.
Julie has studied with Australian sculptors, Alan Somerville, Tom Bass and Col Henry and at the National Art School. She relocated in 2012 to Bali for several years and attended the experimental studio at Gaya Ceramics in Ubud, learning sculptural techniques in clay.
"An even early influence was my father who was a sculptor of sorts. He was a dental technician and prosthetist and could make anything, from boats to jewellery. He would entertain me with bits of wax from his laboratory to play with and showed me how to work with plaster and power tools.
Watching him build things was an osmotic education."
My work is definitely an expression of how I want to see the world.
Rather than expressing pain or anguish for the human condition or my own state, I make whatever makes me feel hopeful.
My style leans towards flamboyant and theatrical. Raised in the Catholic faith, I passed many hours as a child, looking at elaborate figurative sculpture and ornamentation, during required attendance at mass and other ceremonies.
The faith did not linger with me but some of the aesthetics did.
From Catholicism to theatre is not such a big jump and art was the natural next adventure.
I have been working on pieces based on mythology or idealised and glorified ornamentation.
"I am intrigued by The Female Gaze.
My art is influenced by my background in the performing arts and with it, a love of narrative and drama.
I enjoy the challenge of intriguing my audience with the an inanimate illusion of a 'life' in bronze or clay.
I use traditional sculptural methods producing works in fired clay, bronze and limestone. My sculptures have a quality of movement and whimsy and my mythical and monumental series of large heads, is a meditation in animism".
'Plenty'- bronze/steel/granite
ARTISTRY
ARTISTS STATEMENT
ARTISTS STATEMENT
I am intrigued by theory of The Female Gaze.
All my art ins an expression of my inner life.
I try to make intriguing things that please me.
I seek to engage my viewer with a character or drama.
I don't often start out making a totally premeditated form. I enjoy the adventure of drawing with the clay and seeing what presents itself.
The initial idea or plan is always a departure point in the creative process until an expression appears in the clay or paint that is truthful.
I enjoy the challenge of sculpting, painting portraiture, landscape and still life.
Some of my pieces are based on people I have observed, some are expansions on life studies and some just appear in the clay or canvas.”
Jacinda 2021
clay/mixed media
2022-SHAC Robertson Southern Highlands.
2019 Elemental- student exhibition Sydney Ceramics Centre Hornsby TAFE
2018 TAFE graduating students exhibition
2018 Noosa Art Prize exhibition, Regional Gallery Noosa
2014 Harbour Sculpture Exhibition, Sydney
2013 IX Florence Biennale- Fortezza da Basso, Florence, Italy
2012 Northbridge Art Prize-sculpture
2012 FAT and THE SHOWGIRL - exhibition, Richard Martin Art, Sydney
2011 SUMMER - mixed exhibition, Richard Martin Art, Sydney
2011 FAT - solo exhibition, Mary Place Gallery, Sydney
2011 Solo exhibition - IBAH RESORT, UBUD, BALI
2011 Group exhibition - ARTSITE GALLERY, Sydney
2011 Towers Exhibition, Sculpture Society Group Show, Sydney
2009 Tom Bass Sculpture Studio - annual group exhibition, Sydney
2006 Gosford Art Prize - Gosford Regional Gallery
2005 Mixed exhibition, Jody Pawley Gallery, Drummoyne
2022 BDAS sculpture prize
2014 Harbour Sculpture Exhibition –prize
2012 Northbridge Art Prize (sculpture)
2009 People's Choice Award at the Tom Bass Annual Exhibition for "Beatrice Bush",
(bronze sculpture of famous Balmain identity)
Exhibitions
Prizes
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