julie wagner

 
 

I grew up roaming the woods of the northeast, collecting bugs, leaves and flowers. I have always loved drawing what I see on my walks and translating them to my art works. I still often return home with wasp’s or bird’s nests, seed pods, abandoned shells of cicadas or other bugs.

Then, in my studio, I make paper sculpture and artist’s books using my drawings, images of natural forms, scientific diagrams, and maps. I do oil transfer drawings on handmade Japanese paper, tear the pages into small pieces, which I then glue up to make vessel forms and book pages. I am exploring metamorphosis, patterns of growth and decay, and “maps” of the natural world.

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I was born in Wisconsin and grew up on the east coast. After earning a BA in Studio Art from Oberlin College and a MFA in Sculpture from the Rhode Island School of Design, I worked in New York City for 5 years. I moved to northern New Mexico in 1972 where I have lived and worked ever since. My work is in private and public collections in the United States and Europe.

PO Box 758
21 County Road 231
El Rito, NM 87530