6 – If there was one thing you could change in this world with the help of your art, what would it be and why?
Over the past 30 years as an artist, I have traveled to many countries around the world. I would love to somehow bring about change when it comes to global issues. This includes the problems I spoke about before, and also climate change. I would love the opportunity to stand in front of an audience of global leaders and express my ideas. Working as an artist may not have brought me these things, but it has brought me into contact with a wealth of outlooks on the world and has introduced me to a vast range of truly differing perceptions.
7 – What is your most essential tool? Is there something you cannot be without in your art studio?
I cannot be without glue and paper. I love the use of glue when I’m working with paper, fabrics, wet pain, deli-paper, metro maps, and brown bags. I can recycle almost any material, including copies of my artwork. Of course, I cannot be without brushes and have them in all shapes and sizes. However, I consider that my most important tool is my ideas. A single piece of artwork with a strong idea behind it can influence people and spark conversation.
8 – Which artist has inspired you, or has been your biggest influence?
Gustave Courbet has utterly inspired my work for many years. His art focused on the physical reality of the subject he observed, even if it was plain. He rejected the classical and theatrical styles of the French Academy and was renowned for his response to the political upheavals which gripped France during his lifetime.
9 – You studied art in Europe for many years and have also worked for major institutions of art as a fine art restorer? Can you think of a piece you restored which to you felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity?
Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris comes immediately to mind as that opportunity! Twenty years ago, I worked in collaboration with a group of art conservators on this magnificent, Gothic-style cathedral and primarily worked on the Virgin and Child piece from the 14th Century. – GM
For more of Julia’s Rivera’s work, you can visit the following galleries: