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
