American Craft – August 01, 2019

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One day, a doll head broke

off. Reattaching it resulted

in an off-kilter redo and a

eureka moment. “It was the

right evolution for the work,”

Youngquist says. “I’m a surreal-

ist, which means creating some-

thing that isn’t quite in sync

with our real, physical world.”

That element of strange-

ness is eye-catching, but it

also reflects a deeper layer of

meaning. As Youngquist sees

it, animal and human forms are

intermingled because life

on Earth is intertwined and

interdependent. “It’s a way

for me to show empathy and

stewardship with all life on

the planet. If we have the

power to destroy, we have

the power to be stewards,”

she says.

Her art is also a reminder

that mystery and magic don’t

have to disappear when we grow

up. UFOs figure prominently

in her work, and dolphins and

above left:

Dylan, 2010,

mixed media,

12 x 7 x 5 in.

above:

June and

Jupiter (Two-

Headed Red

Bird), 2017,

mixed media,

10 x 4 x 6 in.

above right:

Little King of

the Jungle, 2018,

mixed media,

14 x 8 x 6 in.

right:

Delilah Faeries,

2019, mixed

media, 4 x 2

x .5 in. each

american craft aug/sept 19 45