Phoenix Artist Christina You-Sun Park: 100 Creatives

Phoenix is brimming with creativity. And every other year, we put the spotlight on 100 of the city’s creative forces. Leading up to the release of this year’s Best of Phoenix issue, we’re profiling 100 more. Welcome to the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives. Up today: 19. Christina You-Sun Park.

Christina You-Sun Park‘s sculptures explore communication.

Specifically, the artist and Eye Lounge member’s works deal with communication via perspective: how children see the alphabet before learning letters, how, via translation, words and stories change and evolve.

See also: Phoenix Photographer Mike Olbinski: 100 Creatives

And it’s not so surprising, then, that her interests outside of art lie in science fiction and fantasy, media rooted in how different entities discover how to relate to one another. Park says she’s in the midst of watching Star Trek: The Original Series and enjoys playing Dungeons & Dragons with friends. Her literary habits also involve and impact her work; she’s currently reading John McWhorter’s The Power of Babel: A Natural History of Language.

Expect to see those influences pop up in Park’s upcoming solo show, which opens at Eye Lounge in November. She’s creating a new body of work to present. That is, when she isn’t teaching sculpture and welding at Phoenix College, collaborating with other artists (she recently completed a group piece called R’eyd that’s being installed at Burning Man), and coordinating an exhibition of Eye Lounge members that will go up at Vision Gallery in January 2015.

I came to Phoenix with a car stuffed with art supplies, winter clothes, and a very grumpy 20-year-old Min Pin.

I make art because otherwise I feel like would go crazy.

I’m most productive when I am in my studio surrounded by a whole bunch of junk. It’s definitely a mess in there.

My inspiration wall is full of books, old family photographs, and my dog’s fur (which somehow finds its way on everything).

I’ve learned most from the people around me. From the stories and insight that everyone has.

Good work should always leave you with a combined feeling of exhaustion, frustration, and happiness.

The Phoenix creative scene could use more studio spaces for artists.

See the 2014 edition of 100 Creatives:

100. Bill Dambrova
99. Niki Blaker
98. Jeff Slim
97. Beth May
96. Doug Bell
95. Daniel Langhans
94. Nanibaa Beck
93. Nicole Royse
92. Ib Andersen
91. Casandra Hernandez
90. Chris Reed
89. Shelby Maticic
88. Olivia Timmons
87. Courtney Price
86. Travis Mills
85. Catrina Kahler
84. Angel Castro
83. Cole Reed
82. Lisa Albinger
81. Larry Madrigal
80. Julieta Felix
79. Lauren Strohacker
78. Levi Christiansen
77. Thomas Porter
76. Carrie Leigh Hobson
75. Cody Carpenter
74. Jon Jenkins
73. Aurelie Flores
72. Michelle Ponce
71. Devin Fleenor
70. Noelle Martinez
69. Bucky Miller
68. Liliana Gomez
67. Jake Friedman
66. Clarita Lulić
65. Randy Murray
64. Mo Neuharth
63. Jeremy Hamman
62. La Muñeca
61. Kevin Goldman
60. Emily Costello
59. Kerstin Dale
58. Vara Ayanna
57. Nathaniel Lewis
56. Ruben Gonzales
55. Lisa Poje
54. Bobby Zokaites
53. Frances Smith Cohen
52. Julie Rada
51. David Miller
50. Xanthia Walker
49. Kyllan Maney
48. Cary Truelick
47. Constance McBride
46. James D. Porter
45. Allyson Boggess
44. Abigail Lynch
43. Ashley Cooper
42. Jaclyn Roessel
41. Brandon Boetto
40. Melissa Dunmore
39. Gavin Sisson
38. Rossitza Todorova
37. Monica Robles
36. Josh Kirby
35. Jesse Perry
34. Yai Cecream
33. Nathan Blackwell
32. Carley Conder
31. Ben Willis
30. Nicole Michieli
29. Brian Cresson
28. Tyson Krank
27. Mikey Estes
26. Anwar Newton
25. Sarah “Saza” Dimmick
24. Tato Caraveo
23. Jorge Torres
22. Laura Spalding Best
21. Shawnte Orion
20. Mike Olbinski

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