Artist Statement
Saint Failure is about suffering and self-reflection; the ways we fail and how we grow from those failures. Painful experiences are as formative as positive ones but they don’t look good in a scrapbook.
The quilted pieces marry text and textiles to discuss intimacy, self-reflection, and intrusive thoughts. They incorporate used sheets and pillowcases; materials with a history of closeness to the body in intimate spaces. The works on paper carry the same themes into public space as both confession and confrontation. Neon colors and clashing prints make the text difficult to look at, just like the intrusive thoughts and insecurities we might prefer to leave unexamined. The desire to grow through self-reflection is in competition with the desire to stay safe and comfortable.
Bio
Saint Failure is the work of Julie Forbush, an interdisciplinary artist and writer who has seen every episode of 90 Day Fiance. After dropping out of an English literature degree, she received a BFA and several student loans from Pacific Northwest College of Art. Her work has been featured on telephone poles, bathroom walls, and in the occasional gallery.