Julia Krone, “Flight Path I”, mixed media on board, 50x50cm
This is the fourth year Julia presents her work at the Edinburgh Fringe in her own pop up gallery. She studied at Edinburgh College of Art and her paintings can be found in private collections in France, USA, Scotland and South Africa. A large body of her work is currently hanging at the Institute of Directors in Edinburgh, Charlotte Square. Julia’s paintings are quite regularly accepted at the RSA Open Exhibition and occasionally at the SSA and VAS Open Exhibitions. She has featured twice in Scottish Homes & Interiors magazine and her new show is bound to impress.
Whereas Julia’s earlier work was to do with leaving and heading out into the unknown (“Jetty” series, 2007); her current work addresses matters relating to settling down, integration and embracing cultural diversity.
Julia has herself relocated many times over the past 18 years, from her birthplace in Cape Town she has lived in London, Johannesburg, Malta, Aberdeenshire and Edinburgh, which she indeed found to be a ‘Happy Landing’.
Her brightly coloured new work suggests vibrant harbours or safe havens, the hulls of boats moored in magical places (“Moorings” and “Happy Landings” 2019). Anchors are thrown over board, sea weed is swirling, ropes are slackening and stretching as the boats sway with the rising tide. Brightly striped deck chairs are positioned at the gallery entrance, as and when weather permits. They invite guests to be seated, to “land, happily” to feel “at home” and perhaps take a break from the relentlessness of the Festival.
Julia’s new round canvasses, evoke images of maps with flight paths, and beacons of hope. The round disks serve as markers for arrivals and departures, tracking the journeys of displaced people as they move around the globe, trying to find a place they can call “home”. Some are “economic migrants”, some “refugees” – all dislocated individuals trying to live somewhere better than before. Others are “swallows” who are affluent enough to live in both hemispheres, with frequent trips back and forth each year. However, the environmental cost is huge. One return flight to South Africa emits carbon emissions that equal that of an average annual UK household's energy use.
The “Party” series (2018) fits comfortably alongside this new work. You relocate, integrate and then celebrate new friendships by way of a party. For Julia, the party is a metaphor for life, a microcosm for how we might live and feel a sense of belonging, at least temporarily, at a one off event. Her vibrant “Playground” series (2017) reflects the idea of the world being a place for creativity and innovation, a place to have fun together in spite of all the world’s problems.
Julia’s bright and bold colours have a dopamine effect that is hard to ignore.
Some comments from guests at Julia’s “Dream Gardens” Fringe art show last year:
“The most beautiful feast of colours…!”– Kate, Poland
“Keep on dreaming, the reflection of them is brilliant.”– Ania, England
“Love the use of COLOUR and level of detail in your paintings. We can see your imagination through the paintings.”- Rejoice, Zimbabwe
Company: Julia Krone Art + Design
Venue: Number One Clarence Street, Edinburgh, EH3 5AE
Venue: No. 422
Dates: Fri 2 – Mon 26 August 2019
Tues & Thurs: 10:00-20:00 Wed, Fri, Sat, Sun: 12:00-18:00 Mondays: CLOSED