Julie Arkell was born in London. She studied textiles at West Surrey Institute of Art and Design in Farnham and at St Martin’s School of Art in London. The works in the Collection are made from pâpier maché, using strips of newspaper and wallpaper paste built up in layers. This was painted with a primary coat of white emulsion before layers of gouache paint were applied and then varnished. Beads, mirror or ceramic fragments, and paste ‘jewels’ or sweet paper wrappers were stuck on with a glue gun. The artist also used children’s modelling clay for some of the three dimensional elements. Of her work at the time the artist has commented that when she began to use from pâpier maché she had no idea "of its possibilities. I was fascinated by the process, and the concept of making something out of nothing. Boxes, wire, broken china, glass, headlights, shells, polystyrene - anything that felt right was collected to be used one day in a piece. Spontaneity (was) an essential aspect of creativity - I loved to see what happed, rather than forced my materials to go a particular way. Folk art and children’s work (were) sources of my inspiration. These (had) the spirit of being part of everyday life, being used and enjoyed for their brightness and enthusiasm."

 

Glossary

  • Design

    The arrangement of elements or details in an artefact or a work of art.

  • Gouache

    A paint composed of water-soluble pigment, which has been ground in gum, usually gum Arabic, like watercolour, but made opaque with the addition of white pigment. Creates effects similar to those of oil paint, but lightens in colour during drying and cracks if used thickly.