“ I am still exploring, driven by curiosity, I am still finding my voice and interests. I
like to make mistakes, and then if I like the outcome then I try to figure out how to
repeat that mistake over and over again. I do believe there should be some
mystery in my work, so I don’t want to give too much away. I am always thinking,
how can I create art in a world that is already saturated with objects and works,
how do you make something new and relevant that doesn’t damage the world., I
have always been struck by the pleasure which women have to dig deeply into the
ground.”
MERYL YANA
Questions about the nature of image making, about what governs inclusion and exclusion, rules and taboos, and sexuality are core themes driving her practice.
Yana has used material processes and the principles of the palimpsest to create pieces rooted in the distinctive acts of erasing, hiding and layering that define most archeological finds. She creates works which physical transformation she hoped could contain both past and present, functioning not as record but rather as testaments to the possibilities of time. Indeed, one of the most surprising aspect of Yana’s work is how little she can foresee the visual outcome of her experiments.
She is guided not so much by an idea of an image but rather by her physical encounter with the laws of chance. As their layered process and aesthetic result remind us of ancient artifacts as well as rock art, this alchemy often results in the works having contemplative and almost sacred tones.
