Stephen Yusko: The Way Things Go

Stephen Yusko: The Way Things Go

On view October 8 – December 17, 2021 in the Main Gallery

Artist Statement

The objects I make are the result of my appreciation and fascination with materials–specifically with steel. Whether used alone or with other materials, I am drawn to steel’s industrial history, working properties, methods of joinery and range of finishes. When heated in the forge, steel moves like clay, allowing this tough material to be transformed into graceful shapes.

I am intrigued by the structure of things–the underside. The bones of buildings, piers, arches and trusses of bridges and roadways, and the tools and equipment used to build them tell a story. The shapes, textures and connections of the materials I use are part of that story. My work expands on this visual vocabulary by exploring themes of balance and tension; distance and perspective and concepts of home.

Artist Bio

Stephen Yusko’s studio is located in Cleveland, OH, where he creates sculpture, furniture and vessels, using mixed materials combined with forged, machined and fabricated steel. Yusko is inspired by the structure of things; architectural elements, tools and equipment inform his work, which expands on this visual vocabulary by exploring themes of balance, distance and concepts of home. Yusko has taught at several schools and universities, including Haystack School of Crafts (ME), Penland School of Crafts (NC), and SUNY Purchase, where he was a Windgate Artist-in-Residence; and served on the Board of Trustees for the Haystack School. He is currently on the Board of Trustees for La Caravana Escuela. Yusko has exhibited his work widely including the Metal Museum (TN) and the Ruthin Craft Centre (Wales, UK) and has received three Ohio Arts Council Individual Artist Excellence Awards and a Cuyahoga County Creative Workforce Fellowship Award.

See more on Instagram and Facebook at: @stephenyuskostudios.