Glass Houses 11: Julie Speed

Angeles Salinas, “Toad, from the Malagros Series,” 2022-2023, aluminum foil, resin, yard sticks, dimensions variable. Photo: Christopher Karr.

Angeles Salinas, “Toad, from the Malagros Series,” 2022-2023, aluminum foil, resin, yard sticks, dimensions variable. Photo: Christopher Karr.

Angeles Salinas, “The Space Between,” 2024, repurposed clothing material, fabric, acrylic paint, yarn. Photo: Christopher Karr.

Angeles Salinas, “Sky-Escape,” 2023, acrylic paint on aida cloth, old dresses’ material, steel bars, newspaper, fabric, thread, yarn, aluminum foil, wire mesh. Photo: Christopher Karr.

Angeles Salinas, “I Can Fly,” 2024, wedding dress, fabric, wooden dowel, bobbin lace, wire mesh, ribbon, and video projection. Photo: Christopher Karr.

On a vintage English bike, a “Robin Hood” three speed, Marfa artist Julie Speed rides to her studio every morning to paint the images in her head. Vito, a beautiful redheaded Amazon parrot of nearly 30 years, keeps the artist company in her spacious gallery and painting studio. Speed shared with me what she like most about Marfa:

“The clouds. There are makes and models of clouds I’ve never seen anywhere else.  I call it the cloud showroom on the universe.”

Julie Speed was born in Chicago, moved to Texas in 1978 and Marfa in 2006. Speed Art 2003 – 2009, chronicling the artist’s work since 2003, will be published by UT Press in October 2009.

Everett Taasevigen is a Houston photographer.

Also by Everett Taasevigen:

Glass Houses 10: Bert Long

Glass Houses 9: Steve Brudniak

Glass Houses 8: David Aylsworth

Glass Houses 7: Jill Pangallo

Glass Houses 6: Nestor Topchy