Hand Embroidery and Watercolor on Found Photographs by Julie Cockburn

Julie Cockburn is an artist based in London. Her work is best defined by its delicate craftsmanship and by the transformation of every day and found objects into works of art. Through the manipulation of found items and images; such as ceramic sculptures, paintings, photographs, printed paper and books, Cockburn evokes a sense of both the nae and the spontaneous.

Through the combination of second-hand objects and creative labour, Cockburn contradicts the generic and mass-produced with something crafted, imbuing her intellectually and physically worn objects with value. Techniques such as the childlike embroidered patterns that feature on found photographs and printed images, draw the viewer in to a sculpted journey of labour and creation. Cockburn’s work challenges the means by which things are seen and visually digested, shown by the playful visual exploration of the materials she employs.

Julie introduces ideas to found objects that generate dialogue about modernity and art history, gender and identity, nature and urbanity and the relationship between process and idea. However, it is an instinctive reaction to the found objects that dictates the piece, rather than an underlying intellectual or political viewpoint. Cockburn’s pieces are elaborate, intriguing and beautifully executed, with an autonomy that makes one want to believe their existence. Her work is in both public and private collections worldwide.

The artist has exhibited at The New Art Gallery Walsall, The Photographers’ Gallery, London, Arnhem Museum of Modern Art, The Netherlands, Walker Art Gallery, Liverpool, ICA, London, Wellcome Collection, London, Jerwood Space, London and the Yale Centre for British Art, USA.