Raven's Wing Studio Online Shop : Words To Live By

As in life, so in art, nothing is accomplished in a vacuum. Each generation of new artists are inspired by the works and lives of artists who have gone before. And while most artists freely admit to such inspiration, Philadelphia artist Burnell Yow! takes it one step further - his studio walls, floor and website (www.ravenswingstudio.com) are decorated with quotes from many of the artists he has been inspired by.

It is Yow!’s own quotes, however, that most succinctly describe his approach to his work. Quotes like “There are no rules, only materials,” reveals the motivating spirit behind his richly diverse works in the varied mediums of painting, collage, assemblage, sculpture, digital art and photography.

As a member of the Philadelphia Dumpster Divers, an informal group of artists who use trash and found objects in their art, Yow! lives his maxim daily with a particular gusto.

His passion for creating is perhaps best summed up by another of his own quotes, one emblazoned upon everything from T-shirts to business cards to his studio floor: “Art is not just some guy’s name.”