Paintings 2016-Present
I started making abstract paintings in 2016 to use as the work for my fictional mid-century artists in the Thorold Gallery project. However, the practice has taken on a life of its own and I plan on seeing where it goes.
Installation shot from Semi-Fictions: Recent Painting by Julian Montague at Anna Kaplan Contemporary, January 12—February 15, 2019
De-installation shot from Semi-Fictions: Recent Painting by Julian Montague at Anna Kaplan Contemporary, January 12—February 15, 2019
Landscape Features
Wall paintings at Hallwalls Contemporary Art Center, Buffalo NY. Part of the Amid/In Western New York group exhibition.
The Landscape Features paintings depict the geological features and events that shape the physical landscape of the earth. In their simplicity and stillness the images are meant to evoke the very slow, very long march of geological time. The static quality of the landscapes are inspired by Japanese ukiyo-e prints as well as the background landscapes found in cartoons and comic books. As with my past work, there is an interest in exploring the way in which language shapes our perception of the world. The text on each piece labels the isolated feature, some of the terms are technically specific (glacial erratic, cuesta, drumlin) others are more general (summit, coast, horizon). The terms that describe the features, like the features themselves, overlap one another. The combination of the text and the isolated elements question the limits of our ability to subdivide the physical world into discrete categories.
Features, installation view, BT&C Gallery, Buffalo, NY. Individual pieces: 32” x 24” x 1.5”. 2015. Aerosol Paint on Medium Density Fibreboard.
