Anna Tork: Physical Places, Seasons, and the Passage of Time
Artist Anna Tork with her work.
Work from Lost Palms series.
Work from Lost Palms series.
Top Left: Faded Colors at Dusk.
Bottom Left: Cholla Cactus Garden.
Middle Right: Sharp Green Grass.
Bottom Right: Bigelow Monkey Flower.
All mixed media on canvas.
Artist Anna Tork.
Work from Lost Palms series.
Work from Lost Palms series.
Left: Kelso Dunes. Mixed media on canvas.
Middle: Split Rock. Mixed media on canvas.
Instagram: @annatorkstudio
Website: www.annatork.com
Anna Tork is a New York-based artist who turns to her surroundings for inspiration daily. Using physical places, seasons and the passage of time as her influences, she is able to create expressive paintings featuring vivid tones taken directly from the landscape around her. Anna captures an immense sense of calm and relaxation in her paintings by reflecting upon large bodies of water and light.
How did your creative journey begin?
I started painting out of practical need as my now-husband & I moved in together. We had blank walls to fill in our Brooklyn apartment but original art often feels inaccessible to the average household, as it had with us.
I started out creating studies of the great painters, such as Matisse and Picasso. Without a classroom or formal training, I explored their works on my own terms.
When the pandemic hit, I painted for a different purpose as art served as a refuge and I gained the freedom to establish a consistent, daily art practice.
Where do you find inspiration for your work?
My more recent work focuses on physical places, seasons, and the passage of time. I try to capture the essence of a place, the feeling of being there. It allows me to revisit and stretch periods of time.
With travel opening up, my trips have been enhanced with a side objective of capturing a place’s colors, textures and feelings.
How has your work shifted and evolved over time?
I think similar to most artists, I began without a distinct voice in my work. I referenced other work too frequently, I bounced between styles and I was just learning how to handle materials.
After a few years exploring, I have found a style that feels like me and that I can expand over time. I’m proud of this years-long discovery process.
What does a typical day in the studio look like for you, and how has your art practice grown or changed?
My work goes through cycles. I have periods of exploration, typically around 2 months, during which I open myself to new methods, ideas and materials. This openness naturally leads to inspiration, which I excitedly pursue and transition to a period of creation. A new body of work typically spans 10 pieces. This cycle was naturally conceived in the beginning but is more intentional now.
Which experiences have impacted your work as an artist?
I think my creative impulses were left largely unexplored due to traditional drawing and art practices that were offered when I was younger.
When I started painting in modern, abstract styles, I recognized an inner voice that wanted to create art that felt less formal than I was taught to believe.
My work is and has always been guided by a few core principles: it needs to be something I’d hang in my home, it must be accessible and it must push me creatively.
How has Instagram impacted your art career?
For all its faults, Instagram opened a whole new world to art. It allows people to connect deeply with the artist’s process as well as the art itself. It also allows fellow artists to connect and share their experiences across the world.
On the business side, Instagram allowed artists to sell directly without commissions from galleries. It’s wild that people don’t realize that galleries often take half of profits from artists.
What are your future goals and aspirations?
I tend to set goals at the beginning of each year and group them into buckets: Art goals, business and sharing my work.
From the creation perspective, I see my work continually growing and evolving by exploring new materials and inspiration.
I can also see my business side evolving as well. Right now, it’s still in an early stage, but I’d like to create a model that generates consistent income.
Lastly, I love sharing my work in new ways, through social media, but also shows and fairs. Seeing people connect with my work fuels my soul.