Works by New York’s Nina Yankowitz debut at MFA today

The new exhibition at the Museum of Fine Arts St. Petersburg brings together 60 years of work by New York multimedia artist Nina Yankowitz. In the Out/Out the In is a career retrospective from a tactile artist who has been making statements via creative media since the 1960s.

“Hell’s Breath” (detail). Catalyst photo.

In the Out/Out the In, opening today, runs the gamut from the abstract to the whimsical, the surreal, the subtle and the shout-out-loud. From painted and pleated fabric and textile sculptures to bold ceramics to interactive installations that incorporate video, audio and computer algorithms, the work ranges from commentary on society’s shortcomings to mathematically conceived examinations of music and the written word.

“There’s not a single medium that Nina hasn’t touched,” curator Katherine Pill said during a preview Friday morning. “It has been an honor to work with her on this show.”

“Early Filmic 1977-78” (detail). MFA image.

There are 30 pieces in the exhibition. Every room in the gallery is hung with a different medium; every individual piece is open to interpretation.

“My work has always dealt with challenging formal boundaries in painting or my mounting more recent multimedia installations,” Yankowitz said in a prepared statement. “I have probed the material, political and sonic nature of abstract art when addressing social justice-for-all concerns throughout my six-decade career.”

“Draped Impotent Squares.” MFA image.

She also praised MFA curator Pill. “I love the collaborative ways we together have designed the gallery spaces via color and also appreciate Katherine’s unique ability to bring my works into other museum programs. I’m excited to see the merging time frames from then to now for visitors to travel along my creative journeys.”

Nina Yankowitz: In the Out/Out the In will run through Sept. 25. Yankowitz will attend a “Meet and Greet” and catalogue signing at 2 p.m. today (Saturday, June 21).

All information is at the Museum of Fine Arts website.

“Closing Bell” is a site-specific installation; the “boat” has crashed through the gallery wall, and video waves roll gently in and out over the “sand.” Catalyst photo.

The interactive video piece “Criss-Crossing the Devine” allows the visitor to cross-reference the basic tenets of the world’s religions, which turn out to be almost identical. “I’ve always been disturbed by the way religion is so often used to incite people toward divisive behavior,” Yankowitz told the New York Times.” Each visitor chooses his or her personal interests; no two person’s results are the same. Catalyst photos.