"Julia Rivera: Small Talk" at Mara Gallery

"I Am Speaking" (2024)

Julia Rivera is not interested in creating "over-the-couch" art. You know what I'm talking about -- the kind of art that matches your decor but doesn't really speak to you. You can't avoid the fact that Rivera's art has a message. In some works it's right there for you to read.  Julia's work is on display now through November 22 at Mara Gallery in Sarasota. Happily, I had the chance to talk with Julia there about her practice. 

Rivera began working in her current style following the election of Trump in 2016. She participated in the Women's March and came away feeling an urgency to create art that was relevant to what's happening in our world. She began creating portraits of women, often using herself as a model. Her work became an outlet to voice her personal frustrations. Rivera's women are strong and smart and independent. They are not afraid to speak their minds. Their -- and Julia's -- credo is, "Let's make America smart again."

Rivera hasn't always been a full time artist. Her mother -- a strong woman herself -- was insistent that Julia have a regular paycheck while she was figuring out if she could make a living in the art world. And so Julia became a surgical nurse. Of course! During the day Julia went to art school; at night she worked in operating rooms. You could find her sketching portraits of patients in between surgeries. 

Julia never gave up her dream of spending both her days and nights making art. When she received a scholarship to Studio Arts College International in Florence, she put her scrubs away once and for all. 

During her time in Florence, Julia studied both painting and restoration/conservation. She credits her interest in restoration to her time as a nurse. "I like to fix things," she explained. 

While in school, Julia and her fellow students were hired to do a restoration of the "David." Yes, that is Michelangelo's "David" in all his glory with Julia carefully working on his thigh. Oh. My. God. Julia continues to work in the field of restoration today at institutions like the Met. But back to her work on display at Mara Gallery. 

"Golden Country" (2024)

No element in Julia's mixed media work is without meaning. Her women typically wear black dresses, often with a gold collar or necklace as embellishment. Her choice of basic black is a reference to traditional women's clothing that has been updated for today. And of course it's hard not to think of the ubiquitous little black dress. Then there's the gold leaf, which is both a nod to the past -- think illuminated manuscripts -- and a reminder that women can shine in even the most difficult of times. 

In "Golden Country," Julia has placed an outline of the United States atop her woman's head. The gold leaf bifurcates our country as a way as a way of showing how divided we have become. It's specifically a reference to the "haves" and "have-nots," but obviously we are divided in many other ways as well. 

If you look carefully, you'll see that the woman is wearing pearls. This is a nod to the dutiful political wife standing by her man. With any luck, in a matter of days we will instead have a First Gentleman in Waiting in our country. 

Julia with "It is not in the stars
to hold our destiny, but in ourselves" (2024)

Julia's artistic practice also includes sculpture, which she studied at the Art Students League of New York. Many of her works feature bananas, a reference to the banana farm her grandfather had in Puerto Rico. So the fruit is a reminder of her culture. With a laugh, Julia told me she also likes the fact that a banana looks like a smile. 

I particularly liked two small irons that had been painted with women wearing crowns. While they made me laugh, they of course also have meaning. Julia shared that they are a nod to her mother, who used to iron her dad's underwear. I have my own memories of my mother standing at the ironing board pressing handkerchiefs and the like. She would drip water from a Coke bottle with a sprinkle top in order to create steam. She wasn't successful in instilling a desire to have beautifully pressed things to her daughters, but I would like to have that bottle. 

While I could go on and on, I'll leave you here. For more on Julia and her work, click here and here. And for more on Mara Gallery, click here. Better yet, stop by and say hello to Mara. Maybe one of Julia's works will find a new home with you -- just not for over your couch.