Joanna Knox Yoder has participated in 4 ArtOMatics, including this year’s.  She first heard about ArtOMatic from her friend Scott Davis who encouraged her to enter.  “My first ArtOMatic was a real career and confidence booster!  I made connections there that led to gallery shows and sales of my work. The feed back I received and friendships I made are priceless.  I keep coming back because ArtOMatic motivates me to push myself as an artist and to create new work.”

This year Joanna will be showing a new series of photographs made using an historic wet-plate collodion process that was popular during the Civil War in her space on the 11th floor, space 279.  She learned this process from her friend Barry Schmetter who taught a workshop at Art Reactor studio in Hyattsville.

“After I learned the process I was hooked.  The images are inspired by my family heritage.  My father, who is retired, is using his time to research my family’s lineage.  We have binders full of old letters, wills, and photographs that have been passed down from my grandfather.  I had been wanting to make photographs on this topic for a long time, and the wet-plate collodion was the perfect medium for me to capture the mood and texture I was envisioning.  I decided to put selections from one of my family letters in the display as well.”

The choice for this exhibit follows an artistic slump.  Joanna says that she was not really creating any new work even though she had ideas “flowing through my head.”  According to Joanna, wet-plate collodion is not an easy medium to learn.  “Having ArtOMatic as a goal pushed me and gave me a deadline.  Without that motivation I may have thrown my hands in the air and some chemicals at the wall!”

Joanna is exhibiting her work in a room with her friend, Carole Hollander, and is across the hall from the same Scott Davis who introduced her to ArtOMatic.  “I am happy to be showing work in a room with Carole because I think our work speaks to each other.  If you haven’t seen Carole’s work yet  (also a unique photographic process), check it out and be sure to read her artist’s statement.”

How long have you been making art?

I have been making art since I was about 7 years old.  I have a funny story relation to one of my first pieces of art in 2nd grade.  I drew pictures of naked women that were very detailed.  My teacher called home and complained to my Mom!  But what really got me started was my high school photography teacher, Debra Bernhardt, who really inspired me.  I haven’t stopped making photographs since then.  I went on to study photography at the Savannah College of Art and Design where I got my MFA in photography.

Who are your favorite artists and what inspiration do you draw from them?

It is hard to pick favorite artists because I have so many that I appreciate.  I love Sally Mann’s early work because she shows us a very intimate glimpse of her family and her children growing up.  she creates photographs of her children in a way that makes them look so innocent.  However, if you look closely at her images, there is a depth to them that is hard to explain.

James Casebere creates wonderful houses and other structures and then photographs the interior space of his buildings in a way that looks like you are standing in a real space.  His pictures are haunting.  For example, in one of his photographs he has a building that looks like a mansion that has been flooded.  It appears that there is water on the floor; however he achieves this effect by using plastic.  His work makes me think of the role of the photogrpaher.  Do we create photographs of things or places that are found or photograph things that are created fully in the mind of the photographer?

Joanna has made it through 3 floors at Artomatic so far.  “I like to really take in the work and this is not something you can do quickly.  I plan on going back multiple times to make sure I see each floor.

“On my initial visit I was impressed by Donna McCullough‘s wonderful sculptures on the first floor.  She uses pieces of reclaimed metal to create sculptural dresses. ”

Joanna’s website is:  http://www.joannaknox.com