Julie Stevens is fascinated by roadside rubbish. 76910
By Charlene Gatt
FOOTSCRAY mosaic artist Julie Stevens is used to putting broken pieces back together in the name of art.
This time, she is using old and discarded objects to tap into a new form of expression.
Her sculpture, Fast Life, is made from used objects she found on the side of the road and covered with fake grass.
The piece is currently on display in the Toyota Community Spirit Gallery in Port Melbourne.
Ms Stevens’ work is one of 67 sculptures featured in the Sculptures Flourish display and was chosen from more than 200 applicants vying for a position in the gallery.
“I was inspired by the inner-city urban landscape around me, in particular, by people’s rubbish on roadside pick-up days,” Ms Stevens said.
“I’m fascinated by all the TV screens and the PC screens that you see that we’re discarding now and are piling up everywhere.
“I came up with this idea that it’s a bit of a battle between the nature strip and our rubbish and decided I could have a look at how these objects might look covered in some fake grass, and that’s how it began.”
The mother-of-two first began creating mosaics more than 12 years ago after seeing some while travelling through Europe and now runs her own classes and sells pieces through her business, Red Girl Mosaics.
Ms Stevens told Star she was thrilled to be exhibiting a piece that was a departure from her usual work.
“This piece is a bit of a foray for me into other art forms that I’ve been exploring.
“I love it, it’s keeping me fresh and kind of excited about my art. I’m incorporating more of other art forms now into my mosaics and that’s affecting my teaching and my own output.”
