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About the Cover
about the cover Marion Kahn, "The Space in between"
COURTESY MARION KAHN
Marion Kahn
Joy is the word judges used to describe “Music,” the mixed media artwork by Steamboat Springs artist Marion Kahn that was selected unanimously to be the cover of this edition of the Yampa Valley Arts & Culture Guide.
Kahn had the same feeling as she was creating the piece. “I felt very joyful when I was painting it, and it comes through.”
The sentiment behind the three-part series of which this piece is a part is somber, however. “The Space In Between” series originated following the death of Kahn's daughter in 2019. The profound loss led Kahn to ponder the acute separation. “Can you reach to heaven?” she wondered. “Can you reach through? ‘The Space In Between’ is about that separation.”
Like so many artists in the COVID era, the past year has been one of artistic exploration for Kahn. “This year has really been an experiential year. I’ve been taking a lot of chances,” she says. Santa Fe artist Lauren Mantecón, with whom Kahn has been studying, has been challenging her to try new things.
“'Music' was one of my experiments this year,” she says. To create the work, Kahn went beyond her usual medium – oil – and began by applying layers of tissue paper, each one burnished before the next was applied. Acrylics and oil are the other media in the piece.
Kahn begins each piece by choosing the palette for it. “I’ll start with the color story. What color do I want to work in? When I start, I don’t know where the piece is going,” she says. In “Music,” for example, what most perceive as piano keys came about as a result of her willingness to respond to the work. “I really like doing abstracts; they’re like my soul,” Kahn says. “There’s more freedom to create something that’s not already there.”
The vibrant, saturated colors in the background of “Music” may remind viewers of Kahn's signature sunset paintings, of which she has created 11, to date. “Once you get going, you get that energy,” she explains.
In addition to her abstract pieces, Kahn continues to work in representational art, as well. “It’s risky to be an abstract artist in Steamboat. Most people want something that will tickle their memories of their time here. I love it when people explore New Western art.”
Kahn's work is shown locally at the Riverwalk Collective Gallery in the Depot Art Center. For more information, visit www.marionkahnfineart.com.
