Musician, artist Julie Lee fuses objects into new creations

Release Date: 6/13/2008. Expired: 8/2/2008

Nashville-based musician and visual artist Julie Lee is a prime example of the cross-disciplinary exchange now seen more often in contemporary art.

Her most recent body of work featuring assembled, found-object pieces is on display in the North Wing Gallery at The Renaissance Center in Dickson June 19-Aug. 2. An opening reception will be 6-7:30 p.m. Friday, June 27.

Raised in Maryland, Lee became a fan of jazz legends such as Ella Fitzgerald and would later incorporate that passion into her music. Lee also would go on to receive an art degree and with that began to create works that visually utilized the same methods of creation that are associated with jazz.

Assemblage became the choice method of creation for Lee, bringing together rusted pieces of junk, wood and metal to create beautiful works of fine art. Having now moved to Nashville, she began writing music – infusing her already diverse tastes with the melodies of bluegrass, gospel, blues and folk to create a new sound experimenting with the powerful fusion of these often times regional styles.

“Julie’s music became a way to tell stories that were important and had value, many times re-telling those of her neighbors, friends and her own life,” said Armon Means, curator for The Renaissance Center. “This began to mirror what was happening in her assemblage work. As it too matured into a developed style, Julie’s visual works gained more recognition and a voice of their own. Her use of distinct color and form, unique characters and hand-made structures referenced dioramas, sculpture and painting among other art forms.”

The work had begun to form its own powerful vocabulary built upon a basic premise of form and function and the sum of the parts equaling the whole. In this most recent body of work, Lee continues the dialog of assemblage and storytelling in pieces that humorously and delicately engage the viewer, allowing access to the work and the narratives that one begins to form thanks to the careful direction of Lee.

In what can almost be described as a fairy-tale world, the audience becomes a willing participant in these found-object structures that seem as much about musical melodies as they do aesthetic strategy.

For more information on Julie Lee, visit her website at www.julielee.org. For more information on The Renaissance Center’s exhibit of Lee’s work in the North Wing Gallery, contact Means at (615) 740-5545 or armon.means@rcenter.org.

Galleries at The Renaissance Center are open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday and admission is free.

The Renaissance Center is a fine arts education and performing arts center at 855 Highway 46 South in Dickson, just 35 miles of Nashville on Interstate 40 at exit 172.

Visit the Visual Arts Gallery page for more about the gallery.

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