SEA Artist Spotlight March, 2010
Julie Vohs in the Spotlight
by Lori Rae Curole
Did you ever wonder how artists make all that magic happen in their studios? Julie Vohs of Munjoy Hill in Portland has traveled the world, lived far and near, and embraces what her art is willing to teach her. She claims there is no “magic bullet” to make art sell; that an artist has to do everything they can to get their work before the public and create name recognition. Luckily, she finds peace in creating work that is playful & abstract and paints with the conviction that the work will tell her what to do. She has found SEA (The Society of East End Artists) to be a unique and wonderful resource for creating community in a field that requires solitary work.
So, Julie, where did you grow up?
My childhood was split between the South Side of Chicago (technically, a neighborhood known as the East Side) and the Indiana Dunes, where we moved when I was ten. The East Side was a very industrial, blue collar neighborhood with smoke stacks for a horizon, and Ogden Dunes was a small private community, founded by a bunch of University of Chicago intellectuals, which was also flanked by smokestacks (though they were hidden by the trees and hills until you got to the beach).
And you have lived since?
Lets see, in order: I spent 10 years in Chicago’s western suburbs (Downer’s Grove), the Shenandoah Valley (rural in extremis), the Bucktown/Wicker Park neighborhood of Chicago (urban in-extremis), then a year of living on the road as I went around the world, and then finally, Portland Maine where I’ve fallen in love with the creative energy and community on the East End.
When did all this crazy art business begin?
First announced I wanted to be an artist when I was about 5, painting snowmen in tempera. (The black coal eyes and orange carrot nose against the white body just felt SO right…)
Oh Boy, It’s that “around the world” comment that got me wondering; tell me how your travels have inspired your artwork?
Being a self-taught artist, I found that seeing so much art, in so many different places and in all traditions, left me feeling dissatisfied with what I had been doing, but lost at how to progress. What is the Italian term for over-exposure to beauty?? Stendhal’s Syndrome? It’s known to cause despair at overwhelming beauty and choice. I definitely had it! I had brought my paints with me and was doing pieces along the way (which I mostly wanted to hide – and which all got lost on a train in Germany). I did manage to barter a month of room and board in Istanbul in exchange for murals of the Blue Mosque and the Hajia Sofia at the pension where I was staying. I also left paintings with every kind soul who put me up for a night or transported me over distances.
In terms of inspiration, about 8 months into my travel I ended up in Thailand, doing a 5-week course in Vipassana meditation that was life altering. It profoundly sharpened my experience of how energy flows independent of our internal dialogue. Connecting to that energy is of course the backbone of the creative process. It helped me become much more adept at letting energy flow in my work, making it much more internally directed. The result was that I found I became less fearful of not knowing where a piece was going and trusting in the process. With that switch, everything I saw, all schools of art, become elements for play. It was very freeing.
Let’s change gears a bit, for those unfamiliar with your art work how would you describe it in three words or less?
I would say: thoughtful, playful, and abstract! People should check it out on my website! www.julievohs.com
Julie, what advice would you have for a person of any age that has an interest in being creative, with a focus on being self-taught?
Don’t impose absolutes on your art (i.e., it has to look like this, or it is not good…). Creating art means embracing uncertainty. Style emerges out of doing what you think you don’t know how to do and breakthroughs usually come when everything seems to be a complete mess (which, they often are…). That point of hopelessness is often the very point in which the organizing principle that is needed reveals itself and the work starts talking about what it needs, as opposed to what you want. I live for the moment when that conversation begins.
More generally, I’d say if you want to be more creative and/or make art, you should look at art, listen to music, and read literature. While you are doing those things, pay attention to what makes your soul fly – that will always lead you in the direction of your real work. Remember that anything that takes your attention is valid. Also, remember that quality really does come from quantity. Make as much art as you can, given your life situation, and don’t judge it. The answer to something that is not working today, or this year, might be winging its way toward you through that piece that is telling you “something’s not working here”. BE PATIENT. Understand that vision is usually ahead of technical ability – it’s urging you forward. If you’re tripping up on technical details, find an expert, ask questions. Nurture relationships with people and other artists whose skill, taste, and opinion you trust –make sure they are kind people! (No one needs to be brutalized.) Finally, make time for art and for silence, they like each other.
Many artists create and market their work, tell us how you get the word out about Julie Vohs Paintings?
I’ve done so many things: galleries, shows in shops, cafes and doctor’s offices, website marketing, group shows, juried exhibitions, Facebook, art fairs, word of mouth, teaching, email missives, mailings – you name it. I have found no magic bullet, it’s all valid. What I’ve learned through marketing is that it is important that I create the work for myself, and let it attract it’s own market, not vice-versa. When I ignore that, the work usually stops talking to me and turns to wood – a very frustrating place to be. I am ALWAYS thrilled to sell a piece, and do as much as I can to get it seen and create name recognition. (I’ve thought about mugging passers-by in front of my studio, and dragging them up to see the work, but after research, discovered that is illegal…)
Julie thanks for sharing so much and giving the occupation of “Artist” a very soft & human side. Is there anything else you want to share with our readers, after all, it’s your 15 Minutes of Fame?
I have an acquaintance whose motto is “Art saves lives”. I believe this is true. It saves lives because it acquaints us with who we truly are: vulnerable human beings grappling with uncertainty, while our spirits yearn for connection. When I return to my studio after a long work week – or any period away, I am always astonished at the connection to self that is waiting for me there – and I count myself as impossibly lucky to have this in my life!
We have been talking to Julie Vohs, a Munjoy Hill artist with spirit. I would like to Thank Julie for her time and insight.
About the Interviewer – Lori Rae Curole, is a SEA Member who shares a love for painting, writing, networking, and raising awareness of emerging local artists. As an artist Lori Rae seeks to broaden the exposure of fellow SEA members and share their stories. Join our SEA mailing list, become a member at www.seaportland.org – Interested in being interviewed by Lori Rae, email her at lorirae@wetpaintstudios.com