Meet Artist Judi Harvest | New At Blanc Magazine

ART

judi harvest

Judi Harvest with her Monumental Hive Sculpture

Photo by Francesco Allegretto

A superbly gifted interdisciplinary artist whose body of work extends across the mediums of sculpture, painting, and video, Judi Harvest believes there are no boundaries or constraints when it comes to art. Significant aspects when honing her artistic creations is to continually challenge herself and create an innovative form that has yet to be done or witness before, thus addressing food for thought. Residing and working in New York City and Venice, Italy, there is a creative spark throughout Judi’s practices that incessantly evolves, where her artworks reflect life’s delicacy and the pursuit of beauty.

An artist who has been creating and advancing her frequently multi-dimensional and highly emotional works of art for over forty years, Judi has widely exhibited throughout Europe and the United States. A reoccurring guest of the Venice Biennale and the Murano Glass Festival, Judi has been the recipient of two recent and internationally acclaimed exhibitions including an installation titled “Room Of Dreams”, featuring 21 Murano blown glass bed pillows (that since its inception in 2015 is still enjoying global attainment) and “DENATURED”, which transpires as an examination of Honeybee’s and Murano, Italy.

Honey garden Murano Honey Garden, 2015 Oil paint on linen

Honeycomb, 2017 Primavera Acrylic paint on wood Photo by Max Yawney

Aside from conducting herself as a highly established artist, Judi also accomplishes a passion for beekeeping, a vocation that she attains in Chelsea and Italy with a Honey Garden. This experience has undoubtedly contributed to the inspiration behind “Propagation: Bees and Seeds” – an exhibition that at present is on view amid the Venice Art Biennale and encompasses painting, video and glass sculpture. The work focuses on the nature of seeds, glass, plants, flowers, and of course bees.

For the exhibition, the artist designed 150 different glass seeds, plants, and flowers. “I created these seed and plant works in Murano glass to further emphasize the sense of the fragility of life and the search for beauty that underlies all my work,” explains Judi, who worked with seven Murano glass masters, utilizing three ancient and challenging Murano glass techniques.

Art historian Barbara Rose perfectly summarizes Judi’s place as an artist of today – “Not all artists are created equal, and not all artists are equally creative. Judi Harvest has made creativity in both life and art her goal and achievement.”