July's Spotlight On features Sarah B. Pohlman - a visual artist you should know about. She recently did the design featured on Aspire Arts summer postcard (pictured above).
Biography
Sarah B. Pohlman is a Philadelphia based visual artist. She graduated from The University of the Arts with a
BFA in Printmaking/Book Arts and is currently perusing her Masters of Art Education. Pohlman is a member of
the 13 North Artist Collective based in Merchantville, NJ. In 2007 Sarah was awarded the National Museum of
Women in the Arts Publication Grant and her work has been displayed nationally in museums, galleries, and
private collections. She teaches watercolor painting, drawing, collage, and printmaking to high school
students and adults in Philadelphia. For more information, visit sbpohlman.com.
Artist Statement
What does it mean to be human?
How strange it is to be anything.
My art work is an ongoing reflection on my observations of life and what it means to be human. Every day I am amazed, perplexed, troubled and fascinated by things I perceive around me. People have always interested me because I am continually contemplating myself and the people around me in terms of our context in this world – specifically our interconnections.
This web of interconnection contains intrinsic value that will enable us to transcend, to prevail, to innovate in whatever circumstances arise. My work is a visual consideration of the connections we share universally such as birth/death, physicality, questioning of purpose, struggle, creativity, and love.
I began investigating the unity of humans on a purely biological level; more specifically I looked at the human brain and the neural networks of cells and impulses that control it. As a result of these works I began to consider the ways in which humans relate to each other beyond the physicality of our bodies. Currently, my work is more involved with connections on a spiritual level and the metamorphic journeys that weave us together – where we come from, where we are, and where we are going.
Interview
What is your background in the arts? How did you become involved?
I’m primarily a collage and book artist but I dabble in a variety of mediums. I went to the University of the Arts for Printmaking/Book Arts and I’m currently finishing my Masters degree in Art Education.
I’ve always been an artist. My parents, especially my mom, recognized my interest and were great about supporting me with all kinds of supplies and my own place to work. Eventually I went to an arts summer camp in Vermont and that was really my first experience in a community of artists. There was a certain point in college when I realized that creating things was integral to my well being. I am a happier person when I have time to be creative and express all the ideas that are whirling through my head.
Tell us about how you approach your work.
My approach really varies depending on the idea. There is always some mystery in my work (even for me). When I’m making things, something much more transient than thought takes over and it just kind of happens. I usually start with words and a very rough sketch. I generally decide what materials I’m going to use and the actual process happens very spontaneously. I’m not big on planning out every detail – especially with collages – if a piece of paper tears unexpectedly in a certain way, that just becomes part of the imagery. They happen relatively quickly. Work that I labor over for weeks or months never comes out as well.
Of course, things like books need to be much more precise. The light boxes I’ve been creating lately take some technical thought, like how the light is going to function and how the structure of the box will support it.
How would you describe your experience as an artist in Philadelphia?
I love being an artist in Philly. It has a great sense of community and friendliness about it. I’ve never felt intimidated by the arts community – rather I’ve been embraced by it. And there is art everywhere for everyone.
What has been your favorite experience as an artist?
It’s hard to pinpoint one experience. Drawing on the sidewalk with chalk with the kids in my neighborhood is a powerful experience. I love interacting with kids and seeing how artistic expression can impact their lives. I taught a Collage and Printmaking Saturday School class for high school students this past spring. I taught them about altered books and they all created such advanced work – commenting on themes such as war and peace, religion, LGTB equality and so on. It was amazing!
I was very honored to receive a grant from The National Museum of Women in the Arts in 2007 to create an edition of 125 books. That was a great experience because I never would have been able to make that a reality without their financial support. It was a wonderful opportunity to lecture at the museum in DC and exhibit Everything and Everyone: In The End We All Are One there.
What would be your ideal gig or artistic experience/dream?
I joke sometimes about being a crazy old lady and having a retrospective of all my work at a major museum. I don’t really think of that as my dream as an artist, but it illicits a funny image in my mind. I suppose my artistic dream would really be to make my work more accessible to everyone and for it to have some sort of positive effect on them.
What are you presently working on?
I’m currently making a series of light boxes. This series of work explores very specific moments of clarity in my life. They are rare and inexplicable, but extraordinarily humbling and beautiful instances when the world seems to make sense. They are moments of light that follow me everywhere.
Throughout this work I began experimenting with the use of light in combination with collaged paper. The textures and layering of paper take on new qualities when back lit, expressing the moody interplay of stray light in these vivid experiences.
What challenges have you found in your work?
The biggest problem I face as an artist is finding time! I work full time, I’m in graduate school, and I teach. Somehow I do make time, but it can be really frustrating because I have all these ideas and all I want to do is work on them. But most of the time these other commitments come first.
Another challenge I face is staying positive. It’s incredibly hard to stay positive in light of so many terrible things going on. Greed and ignorance drive people to do unspeakable things to one another, things that quite honestly I have a difficult time even wrapping my mind around. And the media inundates us with negativity and fear. Luckily, I see many positive things taking place and people working for change. I strive to display positivity through my work because I strongly believe that every positive thought and action creates some sort of positive energy. It follows through and has the potential to snowball. We see it with smiles all the time – a person smiles and it genuinely makes others feel good – the positivity carries on.
What advice would you give an emerging artist in terms of building a career in your field?
Love what you do! And working your butt off won’t hurt either.
Other Spotlight On Interviews:
To read our September 09 spotlight on feature about actress,
Lauren Basler, click here.
To read our June 09 spotlight on feature about stage manager,
Dina Steiner, click here.
To read our May 09 spotlight on feature about musician,
Johnston Michaels, click here.
To read our April 09 spotlight on feature about Graphic Designer,
Vuong Tong, click here.
To read our January 08 spotlight on feature about Invitation designers,
Paper Talks, click here.
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