“The Profound Cosmic Energy in Peter Young’s Artworks”
**Exploring the Artistic Journey of Peter Young: A “Maximalist” Visionary**
Peter Young is an artist who defies categorization, transcending artistic norms, and challenging rigid frameworks in a manner that continues to resonate to this day. Often described as a “Maximalist,” Young’s contributions to modern art are as eclectic as they are profound, shaped by his rejection of conformity, his connection to nature, and his exploration of alternative systems. His “Stick” paintings, in particular, serve as a testament to his innovative spirit and his ability to create art that is both rooted in tradition and boldly exploratory.
### Beginnings of a Painter
Peter Young’s journey into art began in the early 1960s. A native of Los Angeles, he initially pursued higher education at Pomona College before moving to New York City to study under Theodoros Stamos and Stephen Greene at the Art Students League. Although he started with an academic focus on art history at New York University, Young was soon lured into creating art, transitioning from a student of art to a practicing artist. By 1964, he was experimenting with bold, all-over patterned paintings composed of identical dots or plaid-like grids. These early works introduced Young to the art world, though he refused to align himself with formalist or Minimalist movements, despite the frequent comparisons.
“I call myself a ‘Maximalist,'” Young once explained, emphasizing his resistance to the reductive ideologies of Minimalist art, which prioritized grids, flatness, and the exclusion of nature or external influences. For Young, art was vibrant, dynamic, and rich with influences derived from culture, mysticism, and the natural world.
### Alternative Influences: Setting the Stage for “Maximalism”
Young’s artistic philosophies were shaped by his early exposure to alternative approaches to art. At the age of 16, he had formative experiences with Lee Mullican and Luchita Hurtado – two modernist painters whose work embraced mysticism, cosmology, and non-Western aesthetics. While many East Coast modernists rejected such elements, Mullican and Hurtado welcomed nature as an integral part of the creative process. This cultural immersion stayed with Young, forming the bedrock of his artistic practice.
For Young, art was never about rigid definitions or doctrines. It was about exploring “teeming unseen energy” and connecting with the world around him. These philosophies would later introduce him to Indigenous art forms, handcrafted traditions, and organic structures, elements that came to characterize his unique style.
### Turning Down the New York Art World
By the late 1960s, Young’s talent had garnered significant recognition. His works were featured in high-profile exhibitions, including the Corcoran Biennial and a two-person show at the Leo Castelli Gallery alongside painter David Diao. Castelli, one of the most influential art dealers of the 20th century, offered Young the opportunity to join his gallery. However, rejecting the constraints of the commercial art world, Young instead chose to remain with Richard Bellamy, a more experimental and supportive dealer.
In a decisive move emblematic of his independent spirit, Young left New York in 1969, just as his career was flourishing. This departure marked the beginning of a transformative period in his life and art.
### Finding Inspiration in Costa Rica and the American West
Young’s break from the New York art world led him to Costa Rica, where he lived among the Boruca tribe. Immersing himself in their community, Young began experimenting with art-making techniques that aligned with the natural and cultural environment. He created paintings by wrapping cloth around wooden sticks and gifted most of these works to the Boruca people—a gesture reflective of his deep admiration for Indigenous communities and their artistic traditions.
Eventually, Young returned to the U.S., where he wandered across the West, finding inspiration in Arizona and Utah. He eventually settled in Bisbee, Arizona, a small desert town where he continues to live and work, far removed from the pressures of major art markets. During this time, Young embarked on creating his “Stick” paintings—a series of works as innovative as they are deeply rooted in the natural world.
### The “Stick” Paintings: A Radical Departure
Young’s 1970 “Stick” paintings represent a radical departure from the controlled, large-scale abstract works dominating the New York art scene at the time. These paintings were made by stretching canvases over ponderosa pine branches tied together with nylon, jute, or cotton twine—a far cry from the clean, rectilinear structures of traditional stretcher bars. The resulting works are modest in scale, handcrafted, and full of irregularities. Their organic frames, with visible knots and protrusions, echo the materials’ raw, earthy origins.
The paintings themselves feature monochromatic fields punctuated by abstract, hand-drawn lines that display imperfections in their execution. This transparent process—visible brushstrokes, uneven textures, and