Artist Statement

Call it nihilism, pure stupidity, or performance art in the name of marketing, violent celebrations do become viral. My work explores the relationship between the Dada Movement and what some call “violent art”. With influences as diverse as Banksy, Aarhus Kunstmusuem, and Kanye West, new synergies are generated from both constructed and discovered layers of this movement.

In my prior exposure to the Dada Movement, I have been fascinated by the theoretical limits of meaning. The artists of this movement rejected the logic, reason, and aesthetic of modern capitalist society. What starts as vision soon becomes debased into a manifesto of defeat, leaving only a sense of failing and the inevitability of a new beginning.

As spatial derivatives become distorted through studious and repetitive practice, the viewer is left with a testament to the edges of our condition in a parallel layer that was once seen with a different lens. The rejection of cliches and modern capitalist society becomes a prevalent theme when looking deeper into the scope of work.

Liberty (Libby) Nank

About the Artist

Liberty Nank at the age of 19 rediscovered her passion for creation. Being brought to the top museums in New York City by her parents and growing up alongside the template of contemporary abstract art formed her interest and connection in the art world. One of her mentors, Mary Beth Akre re-ignited the flame asking her to take more studio art classes creating a strong fire of the long-lost love for art once forgotten. Specializing in acrylic painting, specifically portraits, she discovered her intense enjoyment for painting the uncomfortable and abstract, and mundane. After the independent portrait study, she completed in 2019 she knew her senior capstone would not only “push the envelope” but create an open-ended meaning to her audience.