Julia Atkinson

Although my work looks contemporary, it was actually done 50 years ago.

 

From 1960 I studied at Canterbury College of Art, (now Kent Institute of Art) for 4 years and then became a part-time teacher there. During this time, I applied to the Slade in London and got another 4 years as a postgraduate student. It was here that I started colour exploration, following the ideas of Josef Albers and Bridget Riley. Screen Printing was a new process and an ideal technique for applying flat colour. I was the first student at the Slade to use it.

 

I subsequently made screen printed wall hangings and after moving from London to a watermill in the country 33 years ago, I stopped screen printing because the dyes I was using would pollute the river. I was so in awe of my new environment, that I then spent my time photographing the colours and textures around me. Then 8 years ago I showed these screen prints in Bath, where they were seen by Anthony Hepworth, who had a gallery in Kensington.  He took them and they were selling well until Covid, which caused the gallery to close.

 

However, 15 of them are now in Salisbury's permanent Art Collection, as well as being in the collections of the British Government, the British Council, Krakow Museum, Lodz Museum and Eastern Arts as well as some commercial companies.