“Footprint” Exhibit - Artist Interview Series Two

 By Roxanne Phillips

We present to you a new series of interviews with artists whose works are featured in our new juried exhibit at Art Saint Louis, "Footprint." This exhibit presents works by 38 St. Louis regional artists from Missouri and Illinois and is on view September 25-October 21, 2021 at Art Saint Louis, 1223 Pine Street in downtown St. Louis, Missouri.

We are pleased to introduce you to featured artists Jahna Kahrhoff, Hugh Vincent, Jenna Muscarella, and Tom Karges.
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JAHNA KAHRHOFF

Featured in Art Saint Louis in-Gallery exhibit, “Footprint” (September 25-October 21, 2021): Jahna Kahrhoff, Webster Groves, MO. “Use Me.” 2021. Fiber, 12”x15”x3.5”. $130.
Artist’s statement: “Fabric is made to hold and cover things for us. Sacks hold grain we feed our animals, cement we use to build our homes, or letters and packages we send each other. Fabric covers our bodies, our beds, and our kitchen tables. I hunt through thrift shops for second-hand fabric or clothing with interesting colors and patterns. I also stop at antique malls on a regular basis and have found old flour and seed sacks, bank coin bags, U.S. Mail bags, and vintage notions like lace. Each bag that I make grows organically from the textiles that I find, giving new life to what was once used to hold and cover something else. The style, size, and features of each bag depend on the dimensions of the textiles I find, as well as any graphics or works that are printed on them.”

Roxanne Phillips: As an artist, what footprint do you hope or intend to leave with your art on St. Louis or even with the world at-large?
Jahna Kahrhoff: There are so many textiles already out there in the world, and they have already left their own footprints. They have used up mechanical energy, water, manpower and more when they were originally created. By using mostly upcycled, second-hand, or repurposed textiles I hope to leave a little of a new footprint as possible.
 

Jahna Kahrhoff. “Heart of America.” 2021. Fiber. 13”x16”x3.5”. NFS.

RP: As far as marks or mark-making, how important is it to you as the creator of artworks that your hand is present in the pieces that you make?
JK: Making each piece by hand is very important to me. Every cut and stitch that I make, leave a mark on the individual pieces of fabric and collectively on the end result, making each piece totally unique from anything I or someone else has ever made.
 

Jahna Kahrhoff. “1981.” 2021. Fiber, 12”x15”x3.5”. NFS.

RP: When do your best ideas come to you?
JK: My best ideas come from the textiles themselves – the colors, graphics, texture, size, and even quality of each piece – even the history, the story behind it – it all speaks to me and I build each bag around that.

Jahna Kahrhoff. “Animal Farm.” 2020. Fiber, 16.5”x18”x4”. NFS.

RP: Of all the materials with which you work, which material smells the best?
JK: I love the smell of vintage linen and fabric. I know it sounds kind of strange, but it reminds me of my Savta, when I used to rummage through her closet as a kid, looking for old clothes I could steal to alter for myself. The vintage pieces I find smell like there were in someone's grandmother's closet and that they were used and loved and cared for.
 
RP: What steadfast rules can you see yourself not ever breaking?
JK: Quality! No matter what textiles I'm using or type of bag I'm making, I cannot sacrifice quality. I would rather take it apart (my seam ripper is heavily used!) or even start over (which I've done more than once), each bag has to be just right or it's not good at all.
 

Jahna Kahrhoff. “Embroidery Sling.” 2021. Fiber. 16”x11”x2.5”. NFS.

RP: While working on an artwork, when is it most enjoyable: the beginning, in the middle, or the final moment?
JK: I enjoy the entire process of sewing, from cutting to the finishing touches, but my favorite part is planning. I spread my materials out on my work table and try to figure out what fabrics to use, think about how the colors, patterns, and textiles might look together, and what type of bag would suit them most. The fabrics definitely dictate the process. Each bag grows organically from them and that starting point is always the most exciting for me.
 

Jahna Kahrhoff. “7 Lbs.” 2021. Fiber, 12.5”x12”x3”. NFS.

RP: What qualities attract you to other artists' works?
JK: I love all kinds of art, there isn't a medium or subject matter that I don't enjoy. What I look for, though, is attention to detail. To me, that signifies that the artist really cares about their craft and their process. It shows that they are making something with purpose and passion.

St. Louis-based fiber artist Jahna Kahrhoff.

Learn more about Jahna Kahrhoff: www.urbansewing.com and www.instagram.com/urbansewingstl and www.facebook.com/urbansewingSTL
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HUGH VINCENT

Featured in Art Saint Louis in-Gallery exhibit, “Footprint” (September 25-October 21, 2021): Hugh Vincent, St. Louis, MO. “Void.” 2021. Oil, Charcoal on Canvas, 48”x24”. $3,000.
Artist’s statement: “An illusory statement on dualism. Sections of the painting float and recede in visual space resulting in a holographic image. This work discusses identity, nihilism, creativity and personal emptiness. The void cannot be filled. Shades of red and yellow engage in futile protest to this encroaching darkness that threatens to overtake us all.”

Roxanne Phillips: With your artwork presented in the "Footprint" exhibit, do you hope to evoke some kind of change in your viewer? Or make a statement that is to be considered by the viewer? What do you want your audience for this artwork to take away/think?
Hugh Vincent: I would like for viewers of my work to make up their own stories. Get to know the painting. Get up close to the canvas and hang out with it. Tap in mentally engage and interact with it and give it time to unfold.

Featured in “Footprint” at Art Saint Louis: Hugh Vincent, St. Louis, MO. “Untitled (Pink).” 2021. Oil, Graphite, Carbon, Charcoal, Pen, Sharpie on Canvas, 12”x12”. $400.
Artist’s statement: “My preferred subject is the human face and form. I scatter elements of the face and body throughout my work with the intention of the viewer finding characters and objects within the tapestry of the piece.”

RP: As far as marks or mark-making, how important is it to you as the creator of artworks that your hand is present in the pieces that you make?
HV: It’s imperative. The hand creates the mark and  is therefore inseparable from what it creates. Like a stamp in time as pristine as the day it dried. Evidence of a moment and a feeling that took place. Through marks, we as viewers get to step into an artist’s place, stand where they stood, and see what they see.

Hugh Vincent. “Ghosts.” 2021. Oil on Canvas, 18”x24”. NFS.

RP: Criticism: friend...foe...or is it your muse back talking to you?
HV: Criticism is your friend. Its a good conversation starter, it expands the mind and often times reveals a better approach. Although it is rarely ever welcome.

Hugh Vincent. “Awake.” 2021. Oil, Graphite on Canvas, 37.5”x50”. $6,000.

RP: How/when do you know when an artwork is finished?
HV: You’ve gotta know when to quit.

RP: Thick lines, thin lines or no lines?
HV: All have their place and practicality.

Hugh Vincent. “Thoughts of Self-Harm.” 2021. Oil on Wood Panel, 44”x37”. $35,000.

RP: Of all the materials with which you work, which material smells the best?
HV: Oil paints.

St. Louis artist Hugh Vincent.

Learn more about Hugh Vincent: https://instagram.com/hughvincent
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JENNA MUSCARELLA

Award of Excellence recipient for the Art Saint Louis in-Gallery exhibit, “Footprint” (September 25-October 21, 2021): Jenna Muscarella, Alton, IL. “Memory Box of Bullshit.” 2021. Acrylic, Ink on Canvas, 48”x72”. $3,500.
Artist’s statement: “Memories persist with little genuine thought control. I can pretend to block out a memory, but unpalatable experiences are burned into my brain. Of course, time allows that negative footprint in life to seem minuscule; but depending on the scar, it may never fade away. Through this series I explore transcending through those displeasing memories. As much as I want to erase the memories, I still keep relic reminders of the pain.”

Roxanne Phillips: Thick lines, thin lines, or no lines?
Jenna Muscarella: I am obsessed with line. I use a variation of thick, thin, and anything in between. When I was in grade school, I would stare at the cursive alphabet on the wall and draw each curve with my eye. I doodled on my notebook pages with lettering style after lettering style. I took a Chinese Calligraphy course in college, to further my line obsession. I owe much of my evolution of mark making to this course. I carry those sharp character hand-movements and the philosophy of the “initial mark” into my work. Once a mark is made, it is left alone unaltered. Every work I create focuses on organic linework. I love outlining with black line.

Jenna Muscarella. “Yardsale. ” 2019. Installation. NFS.

RP: How has your art evolved through the years? Describe the different stages of creating?

JM: My artwork has always focused on calligraphic line work, as mentioned. I began painting botanical subjects because I was fascinated with the organic contour lines on flowers. The twists and turns allowed me to make spontaneous, yet controlled marks. I get into a trance making these marks, my natural movement and dance. This has clearly carried into my artwork as an adult. With my beginning-career works, I used the calligraphic approach with the outline of my floral paintings. As I grew as an artist, the marks did as well. I started to dance with line. I let my hand take control of spontaneity and the natural mark in the moment for abstract designs. Now, those calligraphic marks are still used freely as backgrounds and filling the spaces of the objects I paint. For my latest cigar box/memory box series, I am creating works with the contrast of the harsh straight line and the calligraphic marks.

Jenna Muscarella. “Gingko II. ” 2020. Acrylic, Ink, Paper. 12"x9". $200.

Artist Jenna Muscarella's studio.

RP: What was it that first prompted your career/activity as an artist?
JM: I have always been involved with art. I took drawing classes at a young age. I was constantly creating, making, doing, exploring. I still am today, this has never stopped. In high school, I actively searched for art opportunities-- studying for a summer at the Art Institute of Chicago, taking on roles as the design editor for various publications, and creating my own works. I studied at the University of Kansas, receiving a bachelors in art education. I focused solely on how I could “make a living” as an artist. After a few years working in the public schools, I naturally became a bit burnt out. I was constantly searching for that enriching art experience. Tossing back and forth about what I could do next with art. I always had the mindset that I must become a professor or something else that would pay the bills. Then in 2018, I was asked to become a studio artist at K SPACE studios in Corpus Christi, TX. This was the moment that shifted my motivation. I saw that I could focus on my own artwork, publicize, and achieve that enriched art experience that I had been searching for. I spent a short amount of time in this space, but it was something that changed my life. I saw through the eyes of other working artists; their techniques, their experiences, the inspiration that comes from the actual space of the studios, and countless advice. I learned so much from being a part of this group. The studios are on the third floor of an old Kress department store building. Once you finally climb up the last stair and open the door to the studios, it is like magic. You can feel the history of all the artists who once worked there. They have something special going on there and I will be forever grateful for being part of the group and having those experiences. In 2019, I moved back to my hometown of Alton, IL. I continued making large works and expanding my artistic drive. I am still searching for another K SPACE experience.

Jenna Muscarella. “Fluid. ” 2021. Acrylic, Ink, Canvas. 48"x72". $2,000.

Jenna Muscarella. “Oxide. ” 2020. Acrylic, Ink, Canvas 11"x14" $150.

RP: Why do you make art?
JM: I make art because it is a transcending practice. It is my meditation. I get lost in a painting and think about nothing but what naturally happens in that moment. I also make art to release the ideas in my head. I always write down my inspirations or ideas. I have to get that idea onto paper or I feel like I will explode.

Jenna Muscarella. “Clustered. ” 2018. Acrylic, Ink, Particle Board, Carved Wood Frame. 44"x32". $900.

RP: What qualities attract you to other artists’ works?
JM: I am attracted to new ideas. As an art teacher, I study countless works and techniques. I am impressed by the complexities of the mind and releasing it visually. Everyone has their own unique thoughts. I want to see what others come up with-- I want to see something that I have never seen or thought of before. Artists are inventors.

Jenna Muscarella. “Static. ” 2021. Acrylic, ink, Wood. 10"x10". $400.

Jenna Muscarella. “No Smokin'.” 2020. Acrylic, Ink, Canvas. 44"x32". $700.

RP: On what are you currently working?
JM: I am continuing my cigar box/memory box series. I collect cigar boxes and keep my tangible memories inside them. There is a lot of pain within this series and I am able to express those feelings onto the canvas through my marks and make the boxes appear as if they are floating. The boxes are placed in a manner as if they are levitating and literally lifting above all of the harsh calligraphic marks. The boxes are graphically transcending through all of the bullshit attached to some of those memories. I am exploring different angles and styles of boxes as well as the calligraphic marks and the connection to the rest of the pieces.

Jenna Muscarella. “Flourishing. ” 2018. Acrylic, ink, and wood. 10"x10". $300.

Jenna Muscarella. “Inside. ” 2020. Acrylic, Ink, Canvas. 44"x32". NFS.

RP: What motivates you to make art?
JM: Art motivates me to make art. I don’t know that I will never not-make art. I could not imagine my life without it. People talk about getting stuck in ruts with inspiration or even making those initial marks. I have never felt this way. Sure, I have artistic idea blocks from time to time, but I have never quit making. It is ingrained in me and my purpose. I do continuously wish I could have more of an artistic environment or artistic people to connect with. My ideas would be ever-flowing more than they are currently.

Illinois-based artist Jenna Muscarella.

Learn more about Jenna Muscarella: http://Jennamuscarella.com and www.instagram.com/jenna_paints_ and www.instagram.com/jennamuscarella
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TOM KARGES

Award of Excellence recipient in Art Saint Louis’ in-Gallery exhibit, “Footprint” (September 25-October 21, 2021): Tom Karges, Rock Hill, MO. “Nature’s Song.” 2018. Acrylic, Joint Compound on Wood Panel, 72”x24”. $900.

Roxanne Phillips: What color infuriates you…which color do you gravitate towards?

Tom Karges: Burgundy/Maroon. This color should be banned, ha. Something about this color makes me sad and bored. Perhaps it represents something from my childhood that wasn’t exactly a good time. Now if you pair a burgundy with a teal, you get a real stomach churner. Ugh. I can only think of one other color that represents such feeling and that is mauve. Why?  I really like several colors and I’d say in order of preference would be blue, orange, green, yellow, and then red.  Even my works from high school represent these preferences.

Each color has its place and all need to be warmed or intense. No pastels for me.

Tom Karges. “Moonlight and Rain” 2021. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Canvas, 24”x24”. $700.

Tom Karges. “Bathed in Moonlight” 2021. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Canvas, 36”x48”. $1,200.

RP: What surprised you when recently working on a piece?
TK: I was doing a horizon piece that was to be a cloudy sky over a body of water. During the texturing process, some of the texture had bits of debris which made the sky look a mess. When I scraped the texture off the upper portion, I fell in love with the absence. I felt like I was cheating if I didn’t put the clouds back, but decided to go ahead and paint it out and see what happened. The results were wonderful and the proof is that it was accepted for "Art St Louis XXXVII, the Exhibition."

Tom Karges. “Mosaic Sunset” 2018. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Canvas, 24”x48”. $900.

Tom Karges. “Skylines” 2018. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Panel, 24”x48”. $800.

RP: Describe your artistic process/technique.
TK: Ideas or inspirations come from varied and sometimes much unexpected places. I’ve done work based on seeing moonlight shining on water from a ferry, seeing a particular tree on a bike ride, and even one that was fossil stone at a swimming pool.  Recently I have an idea for a piece based on a barn in Forest Park, which will be a departure from my normal subject matter.  I tend to focus on nature and things I can reproduce with texture.

Tom Karges. “Rain Chains” 2021. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Wood Panel, 24”x72”. $1,200.

My pieces are sort of sculpture before they become paintings. The canvas is textured first. So the image is completed in one setting or added to once the base is dry. After the texture is dry and cleaned up, I begin the painting process. This normally requires many layers of glaze washes over a solid color. I like this technique as the end result is never a sure thing. Sometimes I get a wonderful surprise after it dries.

Tom Karges. “Floral Leaf.” 2021. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Canvas, 24”x24”. $400.

RP: How do you want the viewer to receive or interpret your art?
TK: I like to convey a feeling. It’s an amazing thing to hear someone tell me how they feel when they view one of my pieces. I normally am told there is a sense of tranquility in my work. This would be what I am aiming for most of the time and am glad that it comes through. If not tranquility, then I like the piece to give them wonder. Wonder as to where did I come up with this idea, how was this made, and I always get asked if they can touch the piece. Seeing that the artwork made someone interested in how the piece actually feels is entertaining to me. As long as they have clean fingers, of course.

Tom Karges. “Gray Grey Day” 2021. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Canvas, 15”x30”. $400.

Tom Karges. “Deep Rooted” 2020. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Canvas, 10”x20”. $500.

RP: What qualities attract you to other artists’ works?
TK: Usually color pallet and technique. I love it when I see a piece that I would like to reproduce but can’t figure out how they did it. I am impressed when the work doesn’t reveal how it was made.  I am drawn to someone’s use of color, especially if it’s an unexpected color combination that I would want to experiment with myself. One other thing that I am really drawn to is the depiction of natural light. I really like looking at artwork that show areas lit by sun or moon and it fascinates me to see lighted areas on a painting that seem so realistic.

Tom Karges. “Rain” 2021. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Canvas, 16”x40”. $400.

Tom Karges. “Reflection” 2021. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Wood Panel, 24”x48”. $900.

RP: On what are you currently working?
TK: Currently I am redoing several pieces that were done earlier. I sometimes let a piece be for a time and then revisit it to see what I can improve upon. Sometimes it’s just adding color and other times I do a full repaint. I have also gone to the extreme of sanding a piece down for a total redo.  I have had pieces that I thought were finished and then one day I look at them and think “that one needs to go”.  The piece I am currently working on was one of these situations. A large tree that suddenly looked like it was way over done and disproportional.  It’s in process and I am very pleased with how it’s changing and improving. I enjoy this process as much as working on new pieces.

Tom Karges. “Radiant” 2019. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Wood Panel, 12”x72”. $700.

Tom Karges. “Tree At Waters Edge.” 2020. Joint Compound, Acrylic on Canvas, 10 x 20, $500.

RP: What motivates you to continue making art?
TK: Encouragement from others is a key element in the motivational process and having an outlet to share the art is super important. I am fond of decorating my home with my art, but once my walls are full, there is no need to make more. Having exhibits and galleries to show my work gives me motivation to produce new pieces. Being able to sell a piece gives great validation to my work and the encouragement that my work is appreciated outside of my studio.  

St. Louis artist Tom Karges.

Learn more about Tom Karges: www.TomKarges.com and www.instagram.com/tomkarges and www.facebook.com/Tom-Karges-Textural-Artwork-161020927259168
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Roxanne Phillips is an artist and art educator based in St. Louis since 2001. She earned a MFA in Printmaking & Drawing from Washington University in St. Louis and BFA in Painting & Drawing from University of North Texas. Roxanne is an adjunct art instructor at Washington University in St. Louis and has worked with Art Saint Louis since 2017 as Administrative Assistant, ArtLoupe Manager, and Exhibitions Installer. From 2018-2020 she was Master Printer for Pele Prints. Her works have been featured in numerous exhibitions throughout the St. Louis region including at Art Saint Louis, Crossroads Art Studio & Gallery, and St. Louis Artists’ Guild. Her work is currently available at Union Studio in St. Louis. She has served as exhibit Juror for several regional exhibits & art fairs. Roxanne is past Board member of St. Louis Women’s Caucus for Art.