Hands & Hearts is an interview series showcasing various Canadian artists and delving into who they are, what they make, and why they do what they do. Today I'm featuring the photography of artist Julia Luymes.
I met Julia while studying at Haliburton School of the Arts where I couldn't help but be drawn in by her intriguing work - her cyanotypes especially! Julia has a bright spirit and a fascinating vision. Are you ready to be ensnared? Because her photography will cast a spell over you...
Tell us a
little bit about who you are and what you do.
My name is Julia Luymes and I enjoy living in Peterborough, ON
where I grew up. I use a variety of artistic mediums but am at present
focused on digital photography and seasonally creating cyanotypes.
How long
have you been a photographer?
Tell us about your journey.
My artistic background consists mainly of painting, whether it
be watercolour, acrylic, or oil. Only recently have I become immersed in this frontier
of photographic processes.
While studying at Haliburton School of the Arts in 2013, I had the
opportunity to learn how to develop and print a photo in the dark room. I
remember the moment, crushed in between students in that hot claustrophobic
room, when I watched a photograph develop before my eyes for the first time. I
thought to myself, “I HAVE to do this.” and decided in that moment to throw
caution to the wind. I embraced this new love and took Photo Arts to complete
my diploma instead of drawing and painting where I felt more comfortable.
As intense as the Photo Arts program was, I learned so much. Delving
into analog photography helped me think about the “why” behind what I’m
photographing. When you have to painstakingly develop and print the photos you
take all by hand, you think more about what you’re taking a photo of and if
it’s really worth it. This has affected how I shoot digitally. I try to put
more thought into the moment and choose an angle I’m happy with rather than
taking multiple shots and having to sort through them later. I really enjoyed
experimenting in the dark room during school, but recognized the affect the
chemicals were having on my health. I was sick abnormally often and so decided
to pursue more digital than analog in my everyday work.
When we learned how to create cyanotypes, I was obsessed. I
connected instantly with the simplicity of the blue & white and the
textural quality of the prints. For the rest of the semester, I spent all the
time I could spare experimenting with cyanotypes. This summer I found the
chemicals to make my own formula and have been printing cyanos whenever the sun
is out.
Have you
had any mentors? Who are they and how have they helped shape you? What inspires
or influences you and your work?
My biggest mentor is God. The closer I draw to Him, the more I
am inspired to create. I see so much beauty in our world. I’m obsessed with
qualities of light, shadows, reflections, shapes, the cycles of nature, and
dreams. I love the little details of everyday life.
Tell us
about your process. Do you have a favourite part? A least favourite part?
No matter what I’m doing creatively, I have to organize
everything first. My space has to be visually organized in order for me to
organize my thoughts and ideas mentally. I’ve come to embrace this and take it
into consideration when starting a project. Even the way in which I am about to
answer your questions need to be organized into sections…
1) Cyanotypes:
There are so many steps! First of all, I combine ferric ammonium
citrate and potassium ferricyanide with water to create a light-sensitive
formula. This is my least favourite part because you have to be very precise with
the measurements and be careful to not inhale or allow the chemicals to contaminate
anything.
My 2nd step is choosing a subject.
I’ve used large negatives of my own digital images, but usually go for a walk
in the woods and pick up anything that interests me. There’s something about using
the elements of nature to make a print. It’s so magically organic.
The 3rd step is painting watercolour paper with the
prepared chemical formula. I love doing this because I feel that I am embracing
my past love of watercolour but using it in a new way. I usually have an idea
of which plants or negatives I want to use in relationship with the painted
paper, but often change my mind when it comes to the next step.
The 4th step is matching the dried paper to the
subject. I so enjoy experimenting with positioning of the subjects and deciding
which paint strokes have the best connection with the object. I try not to
overthink this part but simply follow my instincts.
The 5th step is securing the paper & subject and
placing it out in strong sunlight to expose. Using the sun to expose the prints
is tricky because you have to watch to see if the quality of sunlight changes
based on the time of day or clouds. Making cyanotypes this way can only be done
in the summer and early fall because of the sunlight. This time of the year is
very precious and important to me because it changes the context of my prints
and allows me to connect with nature in a very specific way. I love the
experience of soaking in the rays of the sun and watching them slowly alter the
quality of my prints.
The 6th and final step is rinsing and drying the
prints. I can never predict exactly how a print will turn out until this point
so it’s exciting to see the exact colour, sharpness, and complete feel of the
print.
2) Digital photography:
My process is very sporadic. Sometimes I
plan to shoot something specific in a certain way. But usually I try to keep my
camera with me wherever I go and simply frame my perspective on what I see. I
love to remain flexible to whatever is happening around me or what I am
experiencing. I enjoy capturing a feeling or moment through photography and
illuminating or abstracting elements.
Describe
your workspace.
My workspace for digital photography is everywhere and anywhere!
My workspace for cyanotypes is another story. At the moment, it
consists of different areas of my home, primarily what I call “The Art Corner”
which is simply my work desk that lives in the crook of the dining room.
Tell us about a time (art-related) where you absolutely and utterly failed and what you learned from that.
Tell us about a time (art-related) where you absolutely and utterly failed and what you learned from that.
I
can think of so many examples of this but the funniest has to be my
experimentation with styrofoam. I was trying to push myself out of my comfort
zone by choosing to work with something completely different to me. I took the
styrofoam apart, glued them, tied them, used them as stamps, traced them,
painted them, painted with them, poured ink into them, and generally became
COVERED in little pieces of them for weeks.
Everything
I made was horrifyingly awful.
But I was able to draw ideas from this experimentation that has helped me with
other projects. From looking at some of my styrofoam pieces, I recognized that
I had a strong interest in the abstraction of shapes. I continued on to create
a black & white series, “Dreamscapes” which was based on tracing hundreds
of puzzle pieces on paper. “Dreamscapes” adjusted my perspective on myself,
what interested me artistically, and why. Doing this series has helped me make
bold decisions in how I shoot digitally. I often abstract my photos by removing
the context of the subject to leave more questions than answers.
What
I learned from this big messy mistake of a project was to value the process no
matter the outcome. There is always something to discover from your artistic
experiments.
Where do
you want to be in five to ten years (in art or life or both)?
I love travelling. I want to visit other cultures and landscapes
and use art to share my experiences. I hope that this will become a part of
whatever is ahead for me. And of course I enjoy the idea of having my work in
galleries and in people’s homes.
Why is photography
important?
Photography is an incredible tool of communication and sharing
of ideas and perspectives between humans. It is a beautiful way for us to
relate to and understand one another. Photography sheds light on the beauty of
life, the issues of humanity, and the hope that lies in all of us. I see
photography as an honest way to share my perspective with others and recognize
it myself.
Where
can we find your work?
You can find me on Instagram @juluymes or on my Facebook page “Julia Luymes Art”.