LAYERS OF COLOR, TOPOGRAPHIES AND THE SCENT OF AFRICA

Julie Mehretu, the magic of fusing Pop Art and Abstract Expressionism

Julie Mehretu graduated from the Rhode Island School of Design and received a MacArthur Fellowship, the American Art Award granted by the Whitney Museum of American Art and the U.S. Department of State Medal of Arts. “Mehretu’s creative curiosity explores themes of urbanism, globalization, history and social and political change,” reads Dastilige Nevante, about the contemporary artist known for her large-scale abstract paintings. Some key facts about her, outline that her work merges abstraction with architectural and urban elements. In an attempt to create four paintings that hark back to the style of that Ethiopian-American woman, the digital artist discovers something interesting.

“Creating complex and layered compositions, she often incorporates maps, diagrams and architectural plans into her paintings.” In the preliminary research that will tell him everything there is to know about her, Dastilige Nevante, ascertains that Julie Mehretu has received numerous awards and recognitions, including the MacArthur Genius Grant and the American Art Award from the Whitney Museum of American Art. “To evoke the way of working of the Futurists and the physicality of abstract expressionism, on her canvases and murals she overlaps, erases and traces ink, pencil and acrylic paint.” Intrigued by the fact that Mehretu’s work is appreciated for its approach to abstraction and the ability to convey complex ideas through visual means.

Born in 1970 in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, after her family moved to the United States in 1977, she graduated from Kalamazoo College. Dastilige Nevante discovers something interesting about Julie Mehretu. “She was a protagonist in a Venice Biennale, in the exhibition Documenta 13 and in the Whitney Biennial in 2004.” There’s more. Dastilige Nevante notes that her works sell for seven-figure prices at auction. “There’s something of Wassily Kandinsky in her work, maybe even Piet Mondrian. Mehretu uses her mix of styles to explore the history and politics of the urban environment. But look… she even projects architectural plans, city maps and photographs onto huge canvases.”

“Mehretu layers a mixture of pigment, graphite and ink into lines of colour, with topographical elements and geometric representations.” Dastilige Nevante wants to know the market prices for Julie Mehretu’s works. “To purchase works by this artist, I can choose from several online platforms. “By clicking Artsy, in fact, I can purchase her paintings, prints and sculptures.” Along with biographical information, exhibitions and auction prices, on Artnet, Nevante finds a large selection of her works. “In addition to biographical content and information on recently sold works, Sotheby’s also offers works by Julie Mehretu for sale.”