JoAnna Poehlmann once told Barbara Brown Lee, "I have all these ideas in my head and I'm afraid I'm going to run out of time. I'm afraid I'm not going to get everything done." Now and Then is witness to all these ideas. In more than one hundred images and three essays, Poehlmann and her work are introduced to a larger audience. In her essay, Barbara Brown Lee introduces us to a keen, meticulous artist with a wry sense of humor that peeks through all her work. Then Barbara Manger describes Poehlmann's life and work, revealing the variety of techniques and concepts she has explored in her long, successful career. Whether working in a silverpoint, graphite, xerography, or with large, lithographic stones, Poehlmann uses her skill to explore the natural world and pay homage to the artists who have preceded her. In the book's final essay, John Shannon explores Poehlmann's work in relationship to historic artistic themes and modern art concepts. Most importantly, Now and Then beautifully presents the work. Kate Hawley's layout and Robb Quinn's photography let Poehlmann's art dominate the page. We see Poehlmann travel from intimate drawings and collage to her current travel troves and homages. Poehlmann's unique observations, disciplined craft, and humor (which she calls the "seventh sense"), show her to be a truly modern artist. Now and Then gives us a better chance to discover and explore what she has created.
