Location: United States
Frank Korb is known for his abstract and plein air works and focuses on the formality of the push and pull of the elements and principles of art in his work. Through the act of laying down the textures of bible pages to build a grid and real texture, he then adds colors, shapes, and additional texture as he considers the dynamics of the space in the picture plane and works toward a balance and harmony. While the intent with which Korb begins each work is important, he is equally concerned with the interpretation of the viewer regarding the relationships he creates within his work.
Frank has exhibited throughout Wisconsin in group exhibitions and arts performance events and has been an active member of the plein air community in Wisconsin.
Korb earned his Bachelor of Fine Art within graphic design and K-12 art education from the University of Wisconsin–Whitewater and and his Masters of Art in Visual Studies from Cardinal Stritch University. He is an arts educator at Fort Atkinson High School, a board member of the Wisconsin Art Education Association, and is currently participating in the 2019-2020 MARN Mentor program. He lives and works in Burlington, Wisconsin, with his wife Julie.
Working in reflection on the corona-virus and the response from various groups to the pandemic in 2019 and 2020. This is a mixed media work that represents the responses society has taken. My art is based on the building blocks of my faith, elements and principles of art, and relationships within life. I focus on abstraction and consider how I can work my faith into the creation of my work. I began by experimenting with a neutral background of visible grids formed by religious and spiritual writing by using them as both text and texture. Using the grid as my ground helped me create a sense of organization and balance to build upon. Throughout the development of using my grids as ground, I built upon the layering of color and contrast, transparency and opaqueness, positive and negative space over the top of the visible and invisible grid. Each work focuses on compositional and visual movement as my lines chase around, throughout, and off of my picture plane. I emphasize the interaction of color, space, and shape developed within each work; recognizing and responding to how the text, images, and texture of the paper from the grid below support the top-most imagery. Through this process I emphasize the relationships within my composition: a push and pull of space, color, and textures as well as the other elements and principles of art and design.
