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Julia Callis: “The Blue Soldier” Solo Show

Julia Callis Roadside Attraction 2018 4x4 Acrylic2 C pastel2 C chalk2 C on wood

The Blue Soldier, a solo exhibition by Julia Callis (BFA 16), is on view at Klemm Gallery. 

The Blue Soldier is a multimedia project that envisions the blue whale as an accumulation of self. Largest of all mammals, blue whales are preyed on by orcas, not for food, but for fun. Orcas tear out the blue whales’ tongue and jaw, dismember their flotation device, causing them to sink to the bottom of the ocean and drown.

Callis considers the blue whale as a self-reflecting metaphor, representing the grandiose paired with a feeling of inconsequence or tongue-less-ness. With this idea, began the construction of a personal form of iconography with the blue whale as an omnipresent figure in the presence of other elements within the artist’s life that she perceives as sacred.
Interested in the perception of iconography and the definition of a sacred form, Callis brings recognizable objects and figures that she considers meaningful into her work and blurs the line of common and symbolic form. The Blue Soldier serves to interpret the personal connection that people form with common objects and the development of sentimental value to iconic form.

The Blue Soldier
Exhibition Dates: August 28-September 272019
Opening Reception: August 28th from 6 – 8pm | Gallery conversation with the artist at 6:30 p.m.
Klemm Gallery
1247 East Siena Heights Drive, Adrian, MI 49221

Julia Callis: The Blue Soldier | Facebook