The Simple Joy of Joseph York’s Abstract Figure Art!

"Sad Repose" copyright Joseph York.

Artist Joseph York, by all appearances, seems a simple and strait forward man. While reading his bio there’s not an ounce of arrogance or pretension in his words. As I perused his gallery of work I was struck with the thought that art is a lifelong journey. His 80s work is interesting, but you can see it’s from an artist trying to find his way. In his 90′s work you see growth in both idea and skill. I enjoyed quite a few pieces of his work from that period. One specific work, Solar Square Dance left me wanting to see more.

"Modern Rhythm" copyright Joseph York.

That is when I entered his Abstract Figurative galley. Now, to be fair, not every work in the gallery moved me. But then again, when does EVERY piece of artwork from an artist, any artist, move a person. It doesn’t. Be that as it may, the sweeping gesture and bold use of color Mr. York uses in his abstract figures is beautiful. He balances controlled strokes and powerful sweeps of the brush giving his work a certain tension, an energy all its own.

"Night Figure" copyright Joseph York.

"Prophetess" copyright Joseph York.

Being an artist you are also a creator. The joy of creation is always there while you’re working. To create something new, to bring something out of the void which previously did not exist, is the most important thing an artist can do. I have been working for a while now in my painting to show the human figure in an abstracted way to capture the figure’s movement and emotional power. In my attempts to show form in motion, I will analyze a figure, then take various parts of its structure, and depict these through sweeping brushstrokes. I try to make these forms in a painting thrust away and into one another thus creating a sensory feeling of movement contained within a still figure.
Joseph York