Artwork Description
Creating Shape
Dimensions: 54 x 18 x 3″
Year: 2012
Media: steel
Karen Yank – Creating Shape is an elegant piece of sculpture that celebrates the idyllic landscape of New Mexico as well as the materials that rise from the environment. It, along with the majority of her works, pays homage to her late mentor Agnes Martin, as an organized conglomeration of lines and circles. The vertical lines on the piece, as well as the horizontally linear orientation of the circles, intend to represent the boundary between the earth and the sky. The circles, on the other hand, portray the infinite number of circular elements that compose nature: the dome of the sky, the sun, the moon, and the cycle of life, to name a few. The two interconnected shapes are consistently seen interacting in Yank’s sculptures, representative of both the relationship between her and her teacher and the connection between the earth and the sky.
Often inspired by the picturesque landscapes of New Mexico; Yank describes her work as representing not only the nature itself, but rather the emotional impact that one feels when immersed in nature.
Yank primarily works in mixed metals to create her mesmerizing sculptures, citing their strength and durability. Many of Yank’s award-winning works are featured in museums and galleries throughout the United States. This, along with the large number of public works she has produced, primarily throughout the Southwest, undoubtedly makes her the most established sculptor in the state of New Mexico.
Yank’s work will be featured in an exhibition called “Karen Yank and Agnes Martin: Student and Mentor” at Turner Carroll Gallery in Santa Fe, New Mexico, in the summer of 2018.
Lillie Guo