Ky Anderson paints abstractions that evolve in response to the world around her. She engages in a continuous process of improvisation using a visual language of bold curves and solid geometry that contrasts with passages of delicate transparencies. There is a sense of restraint and intentionality that arises from her process of careful decision-making. Suggestions of space or horizon lines are obscured behind densely rendered shapes, evoking an aura of spatial atmosphere.
Using a variety of mediums, acrylic and oil on canvas or acrylic and watercolor on paper, she works on multiple paintings simultaneously, building up translucent layers as ideas flow freely from painting to painting. Often working at a large scale, on both canvas and paper, Anderson's process is very physical and gesture is a constant presence. This serial process creates interconnected bodies of work but each painting stands as evidence of the search for endless possibilities of shape, color, and line.
Artist Statement
My work falls somewhere between abstraction, formalism and narrative painting. I see the content and story when I look at my work, but shape and color are equally important, along with approaching material with material. This combination is my language, and with that I paint the visible and invisible connections between the weights, pulls and supports of the sculptural and symbolic landscape around us. Each painting is an exploration into the endless possibilities of shape, line and color. Layered paint covers past moves and thin paint reveals the history of my process,
creating a depth like seeing the clouds when looking through the leaves of trees.
Anderson received her BFA in Fiber and Sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute in 1995, and has exhibited widely across the United States, Canada, and Europe in solo and group exhibitions and international art fairs. Her work is held in numerous public and private collections worldwide. In 2020, after 25 years in New York, Anderson returned to Kansas City, MO, where she continues to maintain an active studio practice.
Ky Anderson is represented by Kathryn Markel Fine Arts, with gallery locations in Chelsea, New York City - at 529 West 20th Street and 179 10th Avenue. Her work is available for purchase through the gallery and on Artsy.