Film medium format | 2011-2012
. Is she naked or is she nude? Julie Wolsztynski’s alluring photograph reexamines this old dichotomy, made famous through John Berger’s seminal text, “Ways of Seeing”. In it, Berger distinguishes between representations of the “naked” as the body defined through representation self, and the “nude” as the body defined through representation of Other. To be “nude” is to be a viewed object, while to be “naked” is to express oneself through one’s body.
Julie’s photograph attempts to bridge this gap. The play of light and shadow over sensuous curves celebrates the body as an aesthetic thing of beauty. It is an object, or at least something physical. She has no face, or even a head; the most personally expressive part of the body is omitted.
However, other elements in the photograph suggest that no matter how much a composition may urge the audience to view the body as an object for the benefit of their gaze, there is always an underlying humanity to the subject. The woman holds a book, a substitute symbol of a mind. She therefore must have an internal life.
The artist continues this tension between the internal and external nature of the body by photographing the woman before a window. If the body is the external and the mind is the internal, then external is also what lies beyond the window and the internal is where the woman stands. Before this threshold, the woman appears in confident repose. The woman can be an object to gaze upon even as she herself gazes at the outside world and cultivates her own mind. Thus, what once seemed to be a clear dichotomy is now revealed to be a complicated system where the subject/object and internal/external realms can exist simultaneously in the same space.
Schuyler Krogh, Kenyon College 2015
. Julie Wolsztynski’s photograph struck me very strongly. I appreciate the soft blur throughout the photograph, giving it a more delicate and innocent feel to the nude figure. The natural window light illuminates the figure’s soft skin. It is appropriate for the female figure to be naturally lit because natural light is fleeting. The photograph was taken during a fleeting moment. This woman is leaving a space and entering a new space. A moment that represents transition, which is very impermanent. The representation of this fleeting moment makes the soft focus very important because it replicates a quick moment in time. The blur also resembles movement over time. The combination of the movement and the soft tranquility of this photograph makes viewing it very relaxing and satisfying.
Hannah Chertock, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016
. Julie Wolsztynski’s series “Rue Longchamp” presents the human body as a soft, and angelic piece of art. Each image has a soft texture with a small piece of sharp detail. The subject remains anonymous yet the viewer creates a personality for her. The subject appears to be thoughtful and peaceful because of the calm moments Julie captures. She emphasizes the curvature of the subject and shows how it relates to the curvature of the background such as a couch or piece of fabric. In image #3, the body can be seen as a landscape because of the hills and slopes the ribs, legs, and pelvic bone. Image #1 gives a beautiful perspective that leads your eye to the body, while a detail of water droplets on the counter presents a small, delicate moment. A piece of personality shows through the series in image #5, the book the subject holds and thoughtful pose can indicate imagination. The use of only natural light is stunning because it creates beautiful hues that reflect onto the body. Julie’s series is a wonder to see because of its natural and elegant depiction of the female nude
Asia Reynolds University of Maryland Baltimore County 2015
. Julie Wolsztynski’s series of nudes now showing at the Adah Rose Gallery boasts a masterful approach to the classic subject. Her nudes are as relevant as ever and seem to showcase a modern and fresh approach to the nude. In the series, one photograph features a woman lying outstretched on the floor with her shape reflected beneath her. The photograph immediately registers as peaceful and tranquil and shines. The muted colors and diffused lines further encourage this sentiment. With a longer look though, Julie’s work can be appreciated for how it allows each picture to be slowly considered. In contrast with much contemporary work, there is an absence for an immediate question or problem posed. Rather than confronting the viewer with an exposition on the meaning of the nude , I would argue that she begs the viewer to consider the photograph in the same mood she has created them. The photograph invites the viewer into a calm, still space and allows one to take in each slowly sloping line with a careful sensuality. There is no rush to examine the role of the nude in the work exactly, but rather to look carefully and meaningfully, much in the same way one can calmly sit back and slowly take in a great landscape; by admiring the hills and valleys as they come in quiet consideration, without being overwhelmed or rushed by an immediate statement posed by the artist.
Leah Anderson, Intern University of Maryland 2010
. Is she naked or is she nude? Julie Wolsztynski’s alluring photograph reexamines this old dichotomy, made famous through John Berger’s seminal text, “Ways of Seeing”. In it, Berger distinguishes between representations of the “naked” as the body defined through representation self, and the “nude” as the body defined through representation of Other. To be “nude” is to be a viewed object, while to be “naked” is to express oneself through one’s body.
Julie’s photograph attempts to bridge this gap. The play of light and shadow over sensuous curves celebrates the body as an aesthetic thing of beauty. It is an object, or at least something physical. She has no face, or even a head; the most personally expressive part of the body is omitted.
However, other elements in the photograph suggest that no matter how much a composition may urge the audience to view the body as an object for the benefit of their gaze, there is always an underlying humanity to the subject. The woman holds a book, a substitute symbol of a mind. She therefore must have an internal life.
The artist continues this tension between the internal and external nature of the body by photographing the woman before a window. If the body is the external and the mind is the internal, then external is also what lies beyond the window and the internal is where the woman stands. Before this threshold, the woman appears in confident repose. The woman can be an object to gaze upon even as she herself gazes at the outside world and cultivates her own mind. Thus, what once seemed to be a clear dichotomy is now revealed to be a complicated system where the subject/object and internal/external realms can exist simultaneously in the same space.
Schuyler Krogh, Kenyon College 2015
. Julie Wolsztynski’s photograph struck me very strongly. I appreciate the soft blur throughout the photograph, giving it a more delicate and innocent feel to the nude figure. The natural window light illuminates the figure’s soft skin. It is appropriate for the female figure to be naturally lit because natural light is fleeting. The photograph was taken during a fleeting moment. This woman is leaving a space and entering a new space. A moment that represents transition, which is very impermanent. The representation of this fleeting moment makes the soft focus very important because it replicates a quick moment in time. The blur also resembles movement over time. The combination of the movement and the soft tranquility of this photograph makes viewing it very relaxing and satisfying.
Hannah Chertock, Virginia Commonwealth University, 2016
. Julie Wolsztynski’s series “Rue Longchamp” presents the human body as a soft, and angelic piece of art. Each image has a soft texture with a small piece of sharp detail. The subject remains anonymous yet the viewer creates a personality for her. The subject appears to be thoughtful and peaceful because of the calm moments Julie captures. She emphasizes the curvature of the subject and shows how it relates to the curvature of the background such as a couch or piece of fabric. In image #3, the body can be seen as a landscape because of the hills and slopes the ribs, legs, and pelvic bone. Image #1 gives a beautiful perspective that leads your eye to the body, while a detail of water droplets on the counter presents a small, delicate moment. A piece of personality shows through the series in image #5, the book the subject holds and thoughtful pose can indicate imagination. The use of only natural light is stunning because it creates beautiful hues that reflect onto the body. Julie’s series is a wonder to see because of its natural and elegant depiction of the female nude
Asia Reynolds University of Maryland Baltimore County 2015
. Julie Wolsztynski’s series of nudes now showing at the Adah Rose Gallery boasts a masterful approach to the classic subject. Her nudes are as relevant as ever and seem to showcase a modern and fresh approach to the nude. In the series, one photograph features a woman lying outstretched on the floor with her shape reflected beneath her. The photograph immediately registers as peaceful and tranquil and shines. The muted colors and diffused lines further encourage this sentiment. With a longer look though, Julie’s work can be appreciated for how it allows each picture to be slowly considered. In contrast with much contemporary work, there is an absence for an immediate question or problem posed. Rather than confronting the viewer with an exposition on the meaning of the nude , I would argue that she begs the viewer to consider the photograph in the same mood she has created them. The photograph invites the viewer into a calm, still space and allows one to take in each slowly sloping line with a careful sensuality. There is no rush to examine the role of the nude in the work exactly, but rather to look carefully and meaningfully, much in the same way one can calmly sit back and slowly take in a great landscape; by admiring the hills and valleys as they come in quiet consideration, without being overwhelmed or rushed by an immediate statement posed by the artist.
Leah Anderson, Intern University of Maryland 2010