005: Julia Birn

Julia Birn, also known as Deafening Silence Co, is a Guamanian artist who works in various mediums including painting and printmaking to create intriguing, flowing designs.

She starts with an idea, sometimes from another’s art, or image and recreates it — normally, digitally first. Then, if her creation satisfies her, Birn creates a physical work using available and convenient materials. She likes to add people and nature into her works and shade them with concentric lines, something of a signature of hers. However, she tends to be overly critical of her work, and ends up “think[ing] everything [she] do[es] is horrible or [she] start[s] overthinking all [her] choices and end[s] up ruining the piece.”

Julia Birn mentioned that her Chamorro-British ethnicity helps her see contrasting or complementary views. In college, she was in need of an outlet for her stress and found that art “allowed [her] to just be creative and do what [she] wanted.” As time passed, she “became more confident in [her]self and [her] work” and her art became “more bold and more interpretive”. She idolizes art movements like tattoos, surrealism, and Japanese art.

Deafening Silence Co prefers to define art as “anything that requires creative thinking.” and believes that an artist, someone with “the need or urge to create,” is meant to fill society with interest and keep it from becoming “too practical, bland, and boring.”

To read the full interview, continue reading below. Check out Julia’s Instagram as well.

Describe what you do.

I like to use various media such as painting, printmaking, and taking what I can find to create new things.

How would you define art?

I like to define art as anything that requires creative thinking. Not a lot of people take into account that a chair or the design of a car is art.

Why did you choose your art form?

I chose my media based on how available materials are and what was the easiest or most convenient options.

How has your ethnicity/race affected the type of art you make?

I would say being mixed (Chamorro/British) helps see things in different views since they can be contrasting or complementary.

How did your high school/college years affect the work you make today?

I actually wasn’t that big into art in high school I didn’t really take it seriously. When I started college, I needed an outlet and stress relief so I turned to art and it allowed me to just be creative and do what I wanted.

Who do you idolize?

I don’t think I idolize certain people I more idolize art movements like tattoos, surrealism, and Japanese art.

Where do you get your inspiration?

I would say just seeing art anywhere whether it’s in a museum or through social media, seeing it just gives me ideas.

What do you do when you're stuck on an artwork or lacking motivation or inspiration?

If I’m stuck I just try and work on it until I feel the right direction again even if it’s a single line. If i’m terribly stuck, I have to walk away for awhile till I can look at it again.

What do you like incorporating most into your art?

I like creating things that involve people or things of nature.

What is something that you add to your art as like your signature?

I love to use concentric lines as shading.

Take us through your process for making art.

I normally see a picture of something or just have an idea and then have the urge to sit down and create an image of it normally digitally first then I’ll create a physical work if I like it enough.

What do you struggle with the most when making art?

I am my worst critic so I think everything I do is horrible or I start overthinking all my choices and end up ruining the piece.

What role do artists have in society?

I think artists are vital to society without them everything would be too practical, bland, and boring. Anything that is created and visually appealing would have to have had an artist involved at some point.

What characteristics do you think all artists share?

I think we all share a need or urge to create.

What’s your favorite place in Guam?

Any beach.

How has your artwork evolved over time?

I think as I became more confident in myself and my work, my art has become more bold and more interpretive as I feel the need to have people understand my art it has become more loose in interpretation.

Why did you choose to become an artist?

I’m not sure I chose to (my mom and sister are artists as well) but I definitely pursued it more because I needed an outlet for what goes on in my life and it helps to be able to create ur own world where you can just sit there and focus on one thing. It’s mainly how I deal with struggles and emotions.

Do you have any tips for aspiring artists?

Even though it’s cliche don’t give up and don’t think of being stuck just keeping pushing yourself and keep working on a piece even if you don’t feel like it.

Is your art geared towards a specific audience?

I don’t try and aim it towards specific people but I understand that my art doesn’t appeal to everyone and only certain people actually like it.

006: Seiji Endo

004: Miriam Quitaro Quinata