Tim Yanke Exhibition: Abstract Musings

The artistic coming-of-age of painter Tim Yanke is, like many coming-of-age stories, a tale of fits and starts and fertile spurts, interspersed, naturally, with periods of unintentional paralysis. But, Yanke’s determination, discipline and resilience, accompanied by a powerful voice of encouragement, the shadow of personal tragedies, and cherished memories of family vacations traversing the terrain of the endless American west, have kept his creative trajectory moving steadily forward.

Yanke’s artwork wasn’t born of inexperience or idealism; it arises from depths of maturity layered with years worth of trial-and-error. One of his most endearing qualities is the way in which he regularly ruminates about art as “a profession,” and the inherent responsibility he feels in his role as an artistic “narrator.” His reflections manifest themselves both in what we see within his work, and in what he leaves out, giving the viewer room to draw their own suppositions; arrive at their own conclusions. He thinks some stories appear more beguiling (he doesn’t reveal which those might be) when obscured, while others seem more striking for the viewer when they find meaning on their own.

The composition of his abstract works is drawn primarily from the music he has playing whenever he is in front of a canvas with a brush or other tool in hand. He doesn’t stop to read emails and almost always lets the ringing phone go unanswered. He says his extremely broad musical tastes are derived from two parents who adored music of all kinds, and that he thoroughly enjoys incorporating both song lyrics and titles into his work in a “loose, illegible scripty” manner. Most viewers can’t actually decipher it, which he prefers, because the veil of mystery makes for a deeper sense of intrigue and curiosity with the text/lyrics serving as a natural, organic design element.

Since he launched his career as a studio artist, Yanke says he has reconciled himself to the idea of achievement—he is, in fact, finally, a full-time, working artist. He concedes that he still finds it vaguely surreal to imagine that he has attained a modicum of artistic and financial success. However, he does confide that he never takes anything for granted and is quick to remind himself that he’s just doing what he loves, each and every day—-an immeasurable privilege often denied to many.

EXHIBITION

December 8, 2018 thru February 10, 2019

This exhibition is FREE and open to the public.

The MACC hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5 p.m. For more information about the exhibition, contact Kathleen Johnson at admin@TheMACCTN.com or by calling (615) 822-0789.