Star Liana York
“When a character emerges from a work I’m sculpting, I feel touched at a deeply intimate level. The process of creating expressive personalities which have a convincing inner life of their own, is the most satisfying aspect of my art experience. I want my subjects, whether animal or human, to have a captivating, positive presence that I can feel when I have them around me, and live with them.”
Star
Abiquiu, NM
Star Liana York
Star Liana York’s sculpting career spans over 50 years, having had her first gallery to represent her art while still in high school. But it was moving to the Southwest in the early 1980’s that most strongly influenced her art direction. Exploring her new region introduced Star to its multicultural landscape with the Navajo, Apache and Pueblo reservations, as well as the ranchers and cowboy cultures so evident.
Being an avid horsewoman herself, much of her discoveries of the environment were from horseback. Not only the wildlife but also the art of the ancients, painted and pecked (petroglyphs) on canyon and cave walls throughout the region. All of this inspired a body of work that was directly connected to York’s experiences of the great Southwest, which continue to give her creations their energy and authenticity.
Artwork
“And there is much to be learned from people who have resisted assimilation, living a traditional, simple life close to the land and the rhythms of nature. This allows an enduring cultural identity-whether indigenous pueblo or ranch life-and is what shapes my artistic vision. There is much value, I believe, in celebrating and acknowledging their unique character in the permanent medium of bronze”. “But the most satisfying aspect of my work lies in the process of creating. Once an idea is chosen-perhaps because of a striking Navajo dress and jewelry orthel gentle humanity expressed in a subtle gesture-it is the act of sculpting that reveals to me what it is I have unconsciously responded to . . . when a character emerges and I am touched deeply, intimately from a . It is this essence in a work of art that makes it intensely personal and, ironically, so entirely universal. “Star continues to find western idiom to be a true, versatile and powerful vehicle for her creative expression and personal self-discovery. She is part of anew group of artists giving contemporary perspective to western themes through their own artistic vision.
