Sorrel Sky Gallery, Santa Fe, NM
August 6-31
Star Liana York, Moon Bear, bronze, 15 x 25.
The challenges faced by an Apache mother and her child on the Plains in the late 1800s were different from those we encounter today. But the confidence and strength of character required to meet life’s trials remain the same. That message acquired an extra level of meaning for sculptor Star Liana York when the mold for one of her monumental sculptures was irreparably damaged at a foundry after only five of the planned 15 pieces in the edition had been cast.
The sculpture, DISTANT THUNDER, represented a significant investment of time, effort, and emotion. York saw it as an expression of the qualities that, over the eons, have allowed humans to protect their children and survive dangers—including fierce and sudden lightning storms, as suggested in the piece whose mold was ruined. But the acclaimed sculptor put the incident behind her and moved on. Now, 20 years later, she and her collectors are celebrating the return of the lost artwork. Thanks to the arrival 3-D printing technology, a new mold was made by scanning one of the original bronzes, and a new edition of 15 is available.
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- Star Liana York, Distant Thunder, bronze, 74 x 55 x 45.
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- Star Liana York, Moonstone, clay maquette, 19 x 14 x 11.
York’s new solo show at Sorrel Sky Gallery in Santa Fe, titled Conquering Challenges and opening on Friday, August 6, features DISTANT THUNDER as both a monumental bronze and a 34-inch-tall piece; the show also includes new works by the northern New Mexico-based artist. But DISTANT THUNDER is special in many ways. “This piece is my personal all-time favorite,” says Sorrel Sky Gallery owner Shanan Campbell. “I’ve never been able to get it out of my mind. It’s exciting that we’re now able to not only finish the original edition but also offer a smaller version, which will be very collectible.”
As with all her work, York did extensive research to ensure the historical accuracy of every detail of DISTANT THUNDER. The young mother carries a traditional burden basket over her shoulder. She wears jewelry common among her tribe at the time and the kind of long dress adopted by Apache women after contact with European-American settlers. Every finely sculpted detail is rendered with extreme faithfulness to the original. Interestingly, York sees the re-emerged sculpture and its message as particularly relevant today. “I feel like a lot of what’s been going on in the world has a good portion of us challenged and especially concerned about our children’s future,” she says.
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- Star Liana York, Wolf Moon, bronze, 8 x 12.
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- Star Liana York, Terrapin Totem, clay maquette, 12 x 8 x 7.
Depicting ways that humans have accessed inner resources since ancient times is a long-running theme in York’s art. Her Spiritual Liaisons series, for example, features “animal helping spirits” like those our ancestors turned to for thousands of years. Humans around the world have carried symbols or fetishes reminding them of an animal’s special qualities or powers in order to access those traits in themselves. Three new works in this series, MOONSTONE, WOLF MOON, and TERRAPIN TOTEM, are part of this month’s show. “Like the Apache mother’s fierce protectiveness,” the artist says, “each animal’s particular strength is a reminder of our own inner strengths that we want to access during tough times.” –Gussie Fauntleroy
contact information
505.501.6555
www.sorrelsky.com
This story appeared in the August/September 2021 issue of Southwest Art magazine.