Julie Mehretu

When I begin a work, I conceptualize and collate a series of images I want to work with. These then become abstracted, into blocks of color and form, to create the underlying image. A smooth layer of semi- clear silica acrylic paint is sprayed over the painted image, embedding the image into the geology of the painting. I can then draw and paint onto the new surface informed by the image below. This process can be repeated for each specific painting. This particular image was developed from a series of earlier works concerning generalized bits of urban architecture. I am approaching it as an image inside the whirlwind of a city coming apart, but it is in such an early phase that it is difficult to discuss specifically. Recently, I have been focusing on military architecture and stadiums, to investigate spectacle and war and their impact on the construction and deconstruction of empire.