SALA Artist - Julianne

Artist profile

Julianne is the Secretary of ME/CFS South Australia. After living with mild ME/CFS for 25 years, a COVID-vaccine related health issue caused her to became too unwell to pursue her career, and she is now retired. She lives with her partner and her two fur babies in Northeastern Adelaide. Art has always been an important part of her personal expression.

Gallery

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Artist Comments

Self-Portrait: This triptych represents how disabled people hold many contradictions within themselves. The frames are thrifted, because most disabled people are unable to work and struggle with poverty. They are placed landscape because for those who spend most of their time reclining, the world is experienced from that position.
This art work is a work of protest. Protest against the stigmas, the stereotypes, the utterly disdainful neglect, and the rigid EXPECTATIONS and ableism of the non-disabled world.

Gum leaves: I enjoyed painting on silk as a birthday event when my mother visited from overseas.

Blue Bubbles: an experiment with my favourite colours.

Art Box: a blind contour drawing/painting that I did as a student in high school. It still speaks to me about the joy of art.

Shades of Azure Four Seasons Dress: This dress is made entirely from reclaimed textiles (even the zip is reclaimed). It was an exercise in quilting without waste. The warm quilted overskirt can be removed for a lightweight summer dress which is featured in Self-Portrait.

Close Up view of triptych

Self Portrait

Disabled Rage
I told my mother
I don't have time for hobbies anymore
I said when you're sick you only have
a very few hours each day
that you can do things
and the very bones of me know
Those things MUST meet
EXPECTATIONS
If I'm here at home
the very least I can do is
cook clean
do laundry
Be the perfect housewife
Even though I rejected that anathema trope
In my teens
It's all I have now.

Disabled Grief & Guilt
No career
No income
No existence at all outside
the perimeter of this tiny property
I've vanished from society
I'm not completely sure I even still exist
I don't deserve to spend my time on me
The window sills behind the faded curtains harbour
three kinds of sticky dust
And dead flies
And the skirting boards are scuffed and muddy
Failed child of protestant capitalism
Broken bendy body
I have no right to art
Maybe I can earn my next two breaths
By packing away the dishes

Disabled Joy
When your life is very small and very slow
You are opened up
To the wonder and awe
Of tiny moments
The intense swallowing heat
of a steamy bath
The mosquitos bouncing
off the screen
The hundred thousand colours of green
In the curtain of leaves tumbling down
Outside my window
The effervescent song of the magpie
Seeking breakfast on the patchy lawn
The silken softness of the single spot
on my dog's stomach
The glitter in a loved one's eye
The tiny snores emanating from an elderly feline curled tightly beside my pillow
The enfolding peace of the deep of night
The golden sunlight that dapples
the entire universe
showering us all
In dancing rays
The slight shiver of gentle wind
That sparkles across my cheek
I think it was Ann Frank who said
"There's always
beauty left"
To be still is a gift
That once opened bestows
An infectious bounty of joy

Description of the artwork

Self-Portrait: Three A3 landscape panels of artwork are displayed in mismatched frames that are stuck together in a row with seashells, natural stones, and various native seed pods around the outside. The first panel is a watercolour portrait of the artist, a white woman with brown hair who is reclining on a bean bag screaming into her hands which partly cover her face. She wears a patchwork apron-style dress of many colours of blue. Her legs show from the edge of the dress with one leg straight on one leg bent. The background is a lightly printed collage of words from negative news stories about disability and lack of access. Written around the figure over the top is the poem entitled "Disabled Rage"
The second panel is a black and white photograph of the artist looking into a very steamy bathroom mirror, as if she is disappearing into a sinister mist. The poem "Disabled Grief &Guilt" is overlayed over the photograph.
The third panel is a watercolour of the artist in a pose that reflects almost identically the pose from the first panel, but in this piece the artist is reclining in a joyful pose with arms and legs in the air celebrating and a closed-eyed smile on her face. There is embroidery floss picking parts of the blue dress which also has a tree on the front of the apron. The background is made up of exploding greens, blues and pinks. The poem is "Disabled Joy" 

Gum Leaves: This is a 100% pure silk scarf painted in tones of eucalyptus greens and yellows in the shape of abstract gum leaves.

Blue Bubbles: This a watercolour of abstract bubbles in various shades of blue. It almost looks like a drone shot of a turquoise ocean. Two tiny whale shadows can be seen in one corner.

Paintbox: This watercolour is abstract splotches of all colours with a very wobbly abstract shape of a watercolour pan set created by not lifting the pen off of the paper or looking at the drawing as it is being created.

Shades of Azure Four Seasons Dress: A quilted dress made up of quilt blocks called "Ohio Star". This block has triangles of scrap fabric in a starburst pattern radiating out from a centre square of fabric. It has a lace belt and quilt scraps for straps. The overskirt is entirely made up of these blocks. The apron front of the dress has a tree of life embroidered on it.  The dress is hanging on a headless and armless mannequin in a gallery next to a heritage stone wall on polished concrete floor. the edges of other textile artwork can be seen in the corner of the photo.

Copyright of all content (images and text) belongs to the artist credited. All work is used here with permission and shall not be used by any other organisation or individual for any purpose or in any way without express written permission of the artist.