JULIA BETTS
Julia Betts is based in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. In 2014, Betts graduated from the University of Pittsburgh with a BA and, in 2017, graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design with an MFA in Sculpture. Betts has participated in group exhibitions nationally and mounted numerous solo shows at spaces such as Unsmoke Systems (Pittsburgh, PA) and Grid Space (New York, NY). In addition, she completed artist-in-residence programs at Millay Colony for the Arts and Virginia Center for the Creative Arts. She has been invited as the visiting artist at institutions such as Montgomery College, Illinois State University, and Columbus State University.
Statement
In “2015-2017,” belongings accumulated over two years are sorted by color (white, blue, orange, brown, black, red) and frozen in plaster time capsules. As part of the installation, a book situated nearby catalogs the ephemera within each brick and describe moments when each object in each block changed colors. For example, a piece of a book with black text fades completely to white from repeated trampling or a clear piece of hot glue accidentally sits on a window sill for months and when found, has yellowed. Permanence is contrasted with transience, transformation, and entropy. Seemingly insignificant moments and trash are elevated into vehicles to hold the residue of a life.