Justine Green: Bed Space

Author: Heather Eck

Justine Green, Bed Space,  Oil on Canvas, 12"x9"

Imagine the tiny, cramped interiors of a hospital closet. A harsh fluorescent light is causing organic shadows to escape from the stacked spare beds onto the walls behind them. A stifling relationship between organic shapes and geometric interiors starts to appear.  

This unusual space and relationship is what inspired Tulsa artist, Justine Green, to create her Concept/OK piece titled, Bed Space. Using paint as a medium, Green was able to further enhance the expressive relationships between shapes and form that surface within the piece.  I was able to learn more of her intent as well as the specific process she took in creating the piece. 

Q: What do you want your piece to say to its viewers?

JG: I would want the viewer to have a bodily response to the imagery despite the absence of the figure. The intimate scale of the work should invite the viewer to come close to the piece. The viewer should have a sense of familiarity with the subject but not in a way that describes a narrative.

 Q: Technically speaking, how did you execute this work?

JG: This work is a finished painting. My interior paintings begin from observation and include objects I find in life. In the process there comes a point when direct observation ends and improvisation and invention take over. This distance created by abandoning observation allows for the painting to take on a separate life where I can exploit certain moods or atmospheres.

Q: What is your favorite medium in which to work? Why?

JG: Paint, particularly oil paint, is my favorite medium. There is a never ending fascination with taking what is basically mud- oil and pigment- and smearing it onto a surface to create recognizable forms.   I allow for a lot of time to elapse while making a painting. This time allows for new ideas and drastic changes to be generated before the painting is finished. The physicality of my marks often gives evidence to a history of changes. I like how these marks place significance on process and its role within painting.

The Concept/OK: Art in Oklahoma exhibition welcomes to the public through February 16, 2013  at the new Tulsa Arts and Humanities Council’s Hardesty Arts Center. Admission is free of charge. See www.concept-ok.org for more information.