Tim Yanke

Art Brokerage: Tim Yanke American Artist: Tim Yanke was born in Detroit, Michigan, the youngest of six siblings. His parents noted and encouraged his artistic talent at a very young age, allowing him to find his way toward art school. Yanke attended the University of North Texas in Denton where he completed his studies in studio art, receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts in 1986. After graduating, he opened his studio. In addition to painting, he initially accepted assignments from a local marketing company and Ameritech/AT&T, working as a graphic designer. He had his first exhibition when he was 23 years old, selling 23 of the 26 exhibited paintings. Since he was 12, he’s had a deep interest in Southwest America. Its arts and culture, colors, and traditions are all present in Yanke’s work, creating his “Neo-West” style. Growing up, Yanke remembers sitting in the backseat with a sketchbook as his family drove down Highway 40 to visit his sister at Northern Arizona University. His most vivid memory is looking out at the panhandle of Texas while they drove at night, seeing the velvet black of the sky, twinkling with millions of diamond stars. He remembers seeing his first tumbleweed outside of Albuquerque and his first cactus outside of Sedona. Yanke’s art has become personal, powerful, and purely abstract, using boldly saturated hues that burst forth from his often large-scale paintings. He also likes to take annual trips back to the Southwest to collect traditional Native American art and artifacts to use in his paintings. There are recurring themes found in Yanke’s work, as well. The dragonfly and American flag are two of his most popular themes, each derived from personal stories. Great abstract painters of the 20th century, like Willem de Kooning, Kandinsky, Klee, Motherwell, Pollock, and Rauschenberg, were highly influential for Yanke as he developed the structure of his work. Original paintings only. Original paintings wanted.