Today we’d like to introduce you to Vanessa Jo Bahr.
Hi Vanessa Jo, it’s an honor to have you on the platform. Thanks for taking the time to share your story with us – to start maybe you can share some of your backstory with our readers?
I am a printmaker and educator currently living and working in Ashland, Oregon. I run a community printmaking studio called Scavenger Studios that offers classes, workshops and membership, along with an artist residency program. I am also the Printmaking Professor and Studio Technician at Southern Oregon University. I fell in love with printmaking during the first week of my undergraduate career and have been trying to figure out how to align my life with the medium ever since. I always knew I was an artist but didn’t truly find my art form until I made my first print. From that moment, I knew I was destined to be a printmaker and finally felt at home in the art world among the printmaking community. I am still as determined as I was that day to become a master at my craft. Hard work, relentless experimentation are resiliency are required in this field. To be a printmaker, one must have a fearless sense of exploration, an acceptance of failure and humility to embrace the natural way things evolve throughout the process.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Some of the biggest struggles along the way have been trying to figure out how to continue making the work you want to make, while balancing projects and commission work. Printmakers are lucky to be a part of the commercial art industry where we can utilize our skills to create posters, flyers, merchandise, etc. The challenge is discerning just how many of these jobs you can take on without killing your personal creative research. There are a lot of gigs that pay the bills, but they might not bring you the most joy or contribute to your personal portfolio. Knowing when to say ‘no’ is something I still struggle with. It is a learned skill just like anything else and takes practice. Another obstacle is that printmaking can be looked down upon and outcast from the fine art world since its origins are inherently utilitarian. Part of your job is having to convince people that our medium is viable and worthy of being revered, collected and exhibited.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I specialize in traditional printmaking processes: Relief, Intaglio, Serigraphy, Lithography and Letterpress. Papermaking is also a passion of mine along with ink making using wild harvested pigments. My favorite process overall is Intaglio because it contains a vast array of nuanced approaches including: Mezzotint, Aquatint, Etching, Drypoint and Engraving. The possibilities of what you can achieve within each category is endlessly mesmerizing. To engage in this practice demands a lifelong devotion to the history of craft and tradition. The fact that it is impossible to ever get bored or reach the end of the road is what keeps me hooked and fascinated by etching. There’s always new ways of doing things, different angles to approach the same process and endless combinations of techniques to explore.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.VanessaJo.Studio
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vanessajobahr/
