Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Momentum Artist: May Yang

Momentum Tulsa 2009 opens Saturday, October 10 with a big party of live music (COLOURMUSIC, Ghost, and Tribes of Soul) and fun. Tickets available in advance and at the door.

Curators selected 93 artworks by 66 artists for the exhibition. Also, three Spotlight artists will exhibit bodies of work, Nick Bayer, Dustin Boise, and Emily Kern. Intern Ashley Romano interviewed the artists to learn about their creative process. Watch for more profiles throughout the run of the exhibition, which remains on display at Living Arts, 307 E Brady, Tulsa, until October 24.

May Yang, Tulsa
The Argument
Screenprint


Q: What was your concept behind your work?
MY: This recent body of work deals with the difficulties I've had being raised between two cultures. My family and I have a hard time communicating with each other because we literally do not speak the same language. The piece, The Argument, uses letters from the English alphabet and other shapes and forms to depict the chaos that often happens in such misunderstandings. Words and sentences become jumbled and unintelligible; one struggles to make sense of the information and proper communication is lost.

Q: Explain the technique and/or process you used for the piece.
MY: The Argument is a multi-colored screenprint. The organic shapes and textures are created by monotyping through an open (unexposed) screen onto clear Mylar. The Mylar is then cut out and collaged to form the specific shapes you see. The text collages are done on the computer and printed out on transparency film. After I have a decent stack of transparencies, I start the print. I tend to approach my prints more like a painter – not every layer or color is planned in advance. I generally start with a large, flat area of a specific color, step back from my work and see what is missing in the composition. From there, I gradually build the print layer by layer. This method has been quite rewarding for me because I find myself making choices I wouldn't have made had I planned everything out from the beginning.

Editor note: May is also responsible for the fabulous graphic design for Momentum Tulsa this year and in 2008.

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