An Interview with Stephanie Van Riet
We were introduced to Stephanie’s wonderful work through a feature shared by the fine folks at Second State Press – a favorite community-driven printshop space in Philadelphia, PA. She recently completed a graduate residency at The Fabric Workshop & Museum, which is a residency program I continually recommend to recent grads. I can see why Stephanie would gravitate towards this program and that she would really thrive on its structure for considering one’s print practice with a new and productive curiosity.
Earthshine, Cyanotype on plaster. 9’ x 15’, 2022
When did you first start printing? Did you receive formal print training or did you begin incorporating print techniques over time?
Perhaps my earliest memory of being delighted by printmaking was the pure joy of unwrapping a piece of Juicy Fruit gum and transferring the colorful zebra on the wrapper onto my arms, or onto whatever surface I could find.
My current printmaking practice is a mixture of formal techniques and playful experimenting. I studied Art and Anthropology at Connecticut College, where I had freedom to explore many mediums and processes, which led me to interesting discoveries about myself as a maker. I primarily focused on painting as an undergraduate student, but ultimately found myself searching for new ways to convey the loss of memory and time in my thesis work. With the help of online videos, I found my solution in cyanotype printing, the first printmaking method I explored.
I became hooked on the experimental process of cyanotypes, manipulating the chemical ratios and using salt and ammonia to achieve different textures and colors. This simple process has been accessible to me in many spaces. During years without access to a studio or workspace, I made a makeshift dark room in my apartment bathroom, coating my paper inside, running outside to expose the print to the sun, and returning to plunge the developing print into the bathtub to wash out the excess chemical. It felt like magic.
How a common sea snail explains the universe. Intaglio, screenprint, 8” x 10”. Edition of 22, 2023
Where do you typically make your work? Home studio? Shared space?
I make my work everywhere. I have worked in various spaces, whether it be my own apartment, public projects, or communal spaces such as Second State Press. To me, printmaking is synonymous with sharing, and I find that shared spaces lend themselves well to powerful work. I love the synergy that exists within this print shop and the willingness of artists to engage with each other's work and methods. I have made friends with many talented printmakers, who have been extremely generous to offer their knowledge and collaborate on ideas with me.
I moved to Philadelphia almost five years ago, and was amazed by the explosive and generous community of printmakers that thrives here. One of the first places I visited was The Print Center, to which I credit much of my early contemporary print and photography exposure. I picked up many printmaking techniques from demonstrations at community events, and found inspiration throughout the city, from work in world-class museums to the wheatpaste prints on every block.
Snail Guide Projector, Laser cut plexiglass, pine, plastic and metal joints. 3’ x 6’, 2022
Snail Guide Projector (interior), Laser cut plexiglass, pine, plastic and metal joints. 3’ x 6’, 2022
How do you see printmaking informing your more expanded practice?
When approaching my work, I consider the concept and experience that I intend to create, and allow that to inform the medium. I utilize printmaking techniques to alter surface treatment of the materials I am using sculpturally, adding printed information through shape, color, and texture. I enjoy the mystery of the final print, as it does not always reveal all the layers and processes that took place, but still records the journey between the work and the artist. Sunlight and repetition both play a prominent role in my prints, as they ground my philosophical thinking about time and daily life.
My recent work is inspired by the spiraling, seemingly random trails of sea snails in the sand. “Earthshine” maps and fossilizes their time and communication onto hand-molded, plaster cast tiles. I used a cyanotype solution to coat the tiles, and exposed them to sunlight at varying lengths to create a range in value, portraying the importance of time in the collected data.
In efforts to bring the recorded trails back to their origin, I created the “Snail Guide Projector.” I etched the trail pattern onto plexiglass and laser cut holes where these trails are intersecting, formatting these panels around the shape of the geodesic dome. The dome structure utilizes sunlight to project these trails back onto the sand. When installed on the beach, the projection of the snail data on the sand is only disrupted by the incoming tide rushing through the dome, simulating the same experience of the physical snail tracks as they are washed away each day by high tide.
Portal, Solvent transfer and acrylic paint on birch panel. 48” x 24” x 1.5”, 2021
How do you see your studies in Anthropology influencing your multi-disciplinary projects?
I grew up as a highly imaginative and curious child, exploring the world through natural objects and beings, mostly in the woods near my house. I created secret worlds in the backyard and possessed a deep interest in rocks and fossils, so it was not too surprising to find myself in the Anthropology department many years later. Much of my education in this area informs my approach to concept, material, and process. As humans, we are drawn to animals, plants and minerals, for they are a source of food, medicine, clothing, shelter, even entertainment. I remain curious about the relationship humans have with natural objects on Earth, and am fascinated to understand how cultures name and categorize objects in their environment and share ways of conceptualizing the natural world. I find that I organize my own work and discoveries in this way; collecting, classifying, and interpreting nature.
Time and Traveler, Solvent transfer on paper. 30” x 22”, 2022
Who would you love to collaborate with?
Snails are the best collaborators. But I would also love to work with scientists who study the effects of climate change on our ecosystems.
In many ways scientists are similar to artists, approaching their work from a curious, observational angle, all the while keeping an open mind and compassion for the topic they are studying. I believe that art and science stem from a similar spot inside us, a fundamental curiosity about nature. In a time of environmental despair, I remain curious about the natural world and its captivating creatures that are overlooked and endangered by our habits and lifestyles. I am eager to interpret research on this topic through my own artistic lens.
I admire so many of my creative friends, and in an ideal world I could create work with each of them. In the past, I have had a lot of fun working on collaborative artist books, and would like to expand this to include installation work. The more pals onboard, the larger the scale and complexity we can achieve.
Screenprinting a three-color repeat pattern. Courtesy of The Fabric Workshop and Museum. Photo: Carlos Avendaño.
What are you working on at the moment?
I recently completed an incredible apprenticeship at the Fabric Workshop and Museum this spring, where I printed my own three-color repeat pattern on twelve yards of fabric. The repeat pattern is inspired by trails made by sea snails, and I am currently exploring the many installation possibilities that exist while figuring out how to activate textile. I am inspired by the form of three-dimensional topographic maps, and how they can convey information about the cosmos and one of the slowest animals on earth.
Each featured post in the Womxn in Expanded Print series is accompanied by a donation to the social justice cause of each artist’s choosing in their name. Stephanie has chosen Philly Thrive.