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Local artist spotlight: Janie Ehle, fibers + sculpture
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Local artist Janie Ehle in her Baltimore studio.
The use of fibers is becoming more common amongst emerging contemporary artists worldwide. Fiber is a medium that is not only flexible, but has the ability to create tactile, undulating sculpture. A few weeks ago, I had the opportunity to speak with and pay a visit to the studio of emerging artist Janie Ehle, a 2008 graduate from MICA's post-baccalaureate program.
Janie has been experimenting with fibers since college, but has only recently been incorporating this medium in three-dimensional work since September 2007. She is an avid participant in the Baltimore art scene and has shown at several student exhibitions, where she created a life-sized boat made of doilies. She also tried her hand at experimental fashion by making a "Joan-of-Arc" armor and shield (pictured above) out of super-glued white thread. Janie has her studio in Baltimore's Midtown Arts District, where she ventures to every time she feels the urge to put her thoughts into action.
As a portrait painter turned sculptor, Janie understands the need to not only produce and understand fiber work itself, but how it interacts with other mediums and materials. This has enabled her to be integrated with the critical issues concerning fiber and the contemporary art world at large. Her understanding is evident in her work: she uses a variety of subject matter and different combinations of mediums, such as paint, fabric and thread. As a result, no two pieces are alike.
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When asked about Baltimore's art scene, Janie notes that although it is very forward thinking and inclusive, few artists are able to base all of their income on professional art sales. Many MICA students move to New York City after graduation to encounter a more diverse and promising art scene. However, Janie (who once had the same dream) prefers to stay in Baltimore to test the waters. She believes in the Baltimore art scene and contemporary art to act as a catalyst for social change in this great city. Though times are uncertain right now, Janie will continue to make art because that is what she loves to do.
As Baltimore Arts Examiner Cara Ober mentioned in her recent article, the global economic meltdown has put a halt in both funding and sales in the art world. I too, agree that there are far too many bad works of art selling for ridiculous amounts of money in the auction houses worldwide. Many people no longer consider what they are buying, as long as they have it to satisfy an immediate "need". Art as a sole commodity has replaced the intrinsic value of what art truly is: not a "luxury", but a catalyst that wrestles with the deep questions of life in order to inspire the community to engage in the culture that is and create the world that ought to be.
It is our hope that during this period of refocusing, institutions and collectors who can no longer afford buying in places like New York, Paris and London, will consider supporting the many talented, local artists here in Baltimore. And who knows what the future will hold? Maybe this time of recession is just what the art world needs in order to redefine its original mission.
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