Today we’d like to introduce you to Sydney Yeager.
Hi Sydney, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
As an artist, I got a late start. Although I was involved in art from the time I was a little kid, for some reason, I decided to major in English Lit. when I went to college. I am not sorry for that decision, as I gained some background that is important to my current work. In the long run, however, my love of art was so powerful that I knew it couldn’t be ignored. I was hungry to make art and to learn art history and current developments in art, so I returned to university and started a new career. It was a risky decision, but one I never regretted for a single moment.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Studying art in a university situation is very rewarding but very insular. During the time I was in graduate school, it seemed to me that the world revolved around the university. Everyone spoke the same “language” and focused on the same issues. It was hard for me to imagine an art practice beyond this close community. It is said that a great majority of graduating art students give up on art soon after leaving school. I believe that creating and keeping in touch with a community of like-minded artists is one of the most important factors in maintaining an art career. It is one of the continuing struggles I have encountered along the way. Practicing art is so solitary that it’s easy to forget the need to find conversations that continue to stimulate and feed your imagination.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am interested in every aspect of art, from art history to current criticism, from sculpture, performance to installation and video, but my true love is painting. I am passionate about the medium of paint, specifically oil paint. If I’m known for anything, it is for the surface and vigor of my brush marks. My love of the medium is evident in my brushwork, and I believe that it is my passion for the medium of paint that draws people to the work.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
As I mentioned, I initially studied literature, and books will always be influential. One writer whose work I frequently reference is Italo Calvino. His work is inventive and unpredictable; those two qualities are ones to which I aspire in my work.
Contact Info:
- Website: sydneyyeager.com
- Instagram: sydney.p.yeager
- Facebook: Sydney Yeager
Image Credits
Thomas Jack Hilton Shana Berenzweig
