November 10, 1999
Artist: What I really do is play
Julie Pearson creates, experiments with shadowbox artwork
By Justin Trapp
Herald staff writer
The flea market is full of old clothes, jewelry, knickknacks and other playthings of both adults and children. They have been sent there for recycling, hoping to be put to use by people who want or need them. For Julie Pearson of Traverse City, the flea market is the breeding ground of ideas for her artwork.
"I grew up in an artistic family," said Pearson, "so I was making things when I was little. It was always my favorite thing to do."
Pearson grew up in the 1950s, the daughter of avant-garde artists involved in sculpting and illustrating. Despite this nurturing atmosphere, Pearson never thought that she would be an artist, and says that she thought that the life of a homemaker and wife was all that lay in store for her.
Now Pearson designs greeting cards for a New York company to pay the bills, and spends the remainder of her time making shadowboxes out of everything from broken windshield glass and jewelry to fabrics and wood. A recent addition to Traverse City, Pearson and her art moved three years ago from La Grange, Illinois.
"When I moved, "Pearson says, "my movers thought I was nuts. I sold all my English antiques and had them ship my broken glass."
This isn't the first time that Pearson has experimented in shadowboxes. First trying in the early 70s, then again in the 80s, and finally in the 90s, the artist said that the work just wasn't, well, working. During the last and most recent attempt at the art in the 90s, Pearson felt "successful," and that she had "finally gotten the hang of it." Pearson estimates that she has made a total of about 100 boxes, and only about a dozen of those pieces have remained her favorites. Many of the rest have been "cannibalized" for the sake of new art.
Ideas for Pearson's shadowboxes comes from all over; garage sales, flea markets, and thrift stores. An "eclectic collector," she has a large stash of odds and ends that will one day find a way into a shadowbox.
"I really think what I do is play," mused Pearson. "I play."
Not hunting for meaning in the pieces is important to Pearson. Most ideas and works of art start out spontaneous, and by the time they're done, they have taken on a "life of their own."
The response to Pearson's work has been good. Very good. Not thinking about selling her works originally, Pearson was courted by men and women who enjoyed her art immensely. The Traverse Area Art Council has also been a key role in supporting Pearson since she moved to Traverse City. In a recent juried art show, Pearson placed second with a piece entitled "Sara's Garden" Her work can currently be seen in the Traverse Area Art Council Gallery above the Opera House in Traverse City.
Largely self-educated, Pearson took some art classes in college, but credits much of her passion and motivation to her surroundings while growing up.
"If you're really passionate about what you're being creative about, you're going to find a way to learn what you need to know to get to where you want to go."