Julie Mehrtiu, Stadia I, By Julie Mehretu

Julie Mehretu was born in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia in 1970. She was schooled in Kalamazoo, where she received her bachelor degree in Art, and continued on to receive her MFA from the Rhode Island School of Art and Design in 1997 (Artnet). She lives and works in Harlem New York with her artist and partner (Plagens). Mehretu works on drawings influenced by architectural plans and aerial maps. She adds many layers to increase complexity. She relates the layering to herself as parts of who she is. She explains that in more than one piece of hers there is an underlying narrative (Plagens). She does drawings, printmaking, and paintings that are usually abstract (Artnet). She does a lot of her work in New York but has a massive studio on Berlin that she uses for very large art pieces (Artnet). Her work has been said to be nonliteral art movements such as Futurism to Constructivism. All of her works, involve the city life such as graffiti or architecture. One thing to also notice is that she adds many layers, as well as, fast, sharp arching lines to her work (Artnet).
Julie Mehretu. Stadia I. 2004. Ink and acrylic on canvas. 107 in. x 140 in. …show more content…
She uses her main technique of layering. This piece consists of shapes, rectangles, triangles, circles and her famous arching lines. I also notice black markings that may look like smoke. There may also be an eye in the lower right corner. Mehretu made this piece out of ink and acrylic on canvas. The form is based on her layering technique she is well known for, there could be hundreds of layers. This piece has flow to it, it feels a little celebratory at first, but if you study it you will find your eye moving from the choppy bright colors toward the top of the piece to trying to understand the more subtle black, and grays that don’t have specific shapes like the vibrant colors. The arches of course help bring your eye through the piece and direct you to her next