Whether you are an old fan of Tremblay’s work or a neophyte admirer, you will find the exhibition an inspiration. For those unaware of this world-renowned artist, newly settled in the Hudson Valley, this retrospective presents an unparalleled opportunity for visitors to make a personal connection with Tremblay’s art, practice and development throughout the past two decades.

JULIE TREMBLAY: UNPACKED is a retrospective survey that brings together the artist’s two-dimensional and three-dimensional works into one space. Organized between a set of rooms, this exhibition takes the viewer on a journey through Tremblay’s prolific career over the past two decades (1999-2019). Nearly every type of work Tremblay has made to date, in both technique and subject matter are represented in the exhibit.  Working in an open-ended methodology and an inquiry-based approach, each work reflects the artist’s interest in fractal geometry, chaos theory, mathematics and the natural sciences.

The works on display are both diverse and eclectic. Included in the exhibition are pieces from Tremblay’s early career, such as the abstracted, twinkling, life-sized figurative sculptures fabricated from industrial waste; to a highlighted selection of large-scale charcoal drawings that reference various universal patterns found in nature; following through to her most recent iconic pieces; the visually impactful and monumental sculptures of colored aluminum mesh.

While these works are not easy to define, the ideas, materials and procedures that motivate the artwork are dynamic. They also demonstrate the artist’s willingness to experiment with a variety of art-making techniques across a broad spectrum, challenging traditional boundaries and resulting in powerful concepts constructed from non-traditional materials and unconventional methodologies. As explained in Tremblay’s own words in the quote below:

“Twenty years is both long and short. In a way, 1999 feels like yesterday. The works I made then still feel relevant today, perhaps even more. And yet, when I look at the amount and variety of things I made over the last twenty years, it feels like, all of a sudden, these objects are giving time mass and weight and length. I think most visitors will be surprised by the variety of works shown in the exhibition, although, to me, whether figurative or abstract, they all are one. All are an exploration of different modes of representation. What is abstraction? What is figuration? What is personal? What is universal? The works in the exhibition tread the thin boundary between the universal and the personal as well as connecting ideas of the landscape that surrounds us to the landscape of our inner lives, our secrets and the fragility of truth. Contrasting nature’s revelation of its truths to the lies that allow us to coexist. And, in the light of very recent narratives altering events in my life, this retrospective suddenly comes at a perfectly opportune time, allowing me to look at both older and newer works with new eyes, seeing new connections and new meanings. Furthermore, this retrospective exhibition taking place in the heart of the City of Newburgh, the city I have adopted and now proudly call home, makes this show a particularly personal one.”
–Julie Tremblay

For more information regarding, JULIE TREMBLAY: UNPACKED or the Ann Street Gallery contact Virginia Walsh, Director at (845) 784-1146, vwalsh@annstreetgallery.org.

The exhibition was curated by Virginia Walsh and will be on view through Saturday, June 1, 2019.

Julie Tremblay was born in Québec City, Canada in 1972. She completed her BFA at Université Laval in Canada and went on to obtain her MFA at Pratt Institute, New York.  Tremblay has exhibited her work extensively in galleries, museums and art fairs throughout the US, Canada, Europe, Mexico and the Middle East. Her work has been featured in exhibitions at Hendershot Gallery, New York, Galleri Rebecca Kormind, Denmark, Galleri Sortedam, Denmark, and Craig Scott Gallery, Toronto. Most recently, she has exhibited at the Nassau Museum in New York and the Sinaloa Museum of Art, Culiacan, Mexico. Tremblay’s work can be found in private collections throughout the US, Canada, Europe and the Middle East. She currently lives and maintains a studio in Newburgh, New York.