CV / biography
Biography
Karen Yank has established herself as one of the most collectible sculptors in the U.S. She has been commissioned to complete some of the largest public sculptural works in the Southwest, and her sculpture has been exhibited in numerous museums. Yank received her MFA degree from Rutgers University and her BFA from the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Karen’s mentor was the great contemporary artist Agnes Martin, who is well known for her minimalist grid paintings and drawings composed of horizontal and vertical lines. Yank adopted the circle, a shape mimicking the curve where the earth meets the sky, as her more organic signature shape. The circle is all-encompassing, eternal symbol of nature, and one Yank loves to juxtapose with her industrial metal materials.
Yank’s sculptures are included in numerous museum and public collections, including the New Mexico Museum of Art, Albuquerque Museum, NMSU Art Museum, New Mexico State Capital Art Collection, and the Cedar Lake Contemporary Ballet in NYC. Karen has completed over fifty large-scale public commission to date. Her public works can be seen all over New Mexico, along with numerous other city and state collections across the United State. Yank is represented at the Turner Carroll Gallery in Santa Fe and Atelier Newport on the east coast.
Artist Statement
My life and work are synonymous and are a direct expression of my lived experience. In my practice, creating is the closest articulation of life that I have found, and the idyllic landscape is my primary influence. This is not to say that my sculptures represent nature, but rather that they represent the emotional impact one feels when immersed in nature. The work continues to be a pointed investigation of non-verbal communication and emotional nuances. It can be understood on the surface in a moment, yet the broader goal is to stimulate the viewers’ response by activating emotions associated with their past experiences.
Materials like steel and stainless steel are my chosen medium. Every weld and grind mark are an intentional decision and my attempt to reflect a beauty that can only be found in the organic. The circular forms and intersecting lines that I am constantly drawn to can be found throughout history. The circle and cross are two of the earliest symbols seen in human cultural development, dating back to the Stone Age. Circles reference all that is natural, such as the sun, moon, earth, cycles of life, time, and repetition. For me, the circle also represents the notion of unity while the “X” reflects transitional themes of crossing, intersecting, joining, and marking a point in time or space. The two symbols combined are emblematic of my affection for the world.
I have created over 50 large-scale public sculptures to date. My efforts on these projects won these awards for Aesthetics and Public Involvement; PRIDE Award from American Road and Transportation Builders Association, Golden Cumbre Award from New Mexico Public Relations Society of America, and American for the Arts Art of Giving Award. In 2022, I received the Governor’s Award for Excellence in the Arts.
-Karen Yank
Photo: Dean Hanson/Albuquerque Journal