wild wild country is a sculptural work by Kennedy Yanko, made in 2023. The work is made of paint skin, metal, and pneumatic hoses. The piece measures approximately seven feet tall, four feet wide, and four feet deep. The work features a bright blue painted metal structure combined with pneumatic hoses that create an industrial framework with weathered, mechanical elements visible throughout. The sculpture has an anthropomorphic quality, standing upright like a figure, with curved pneumatic hoses arcing from the top that give it an almost ceremonial or totemic presence. The blue painted metal surfaces show signs of wear and layering, creating a textural quality that speaks to themes of industrial use and transformation. The piece incorporates Yanko’s signature use of paint skin – sheets of dried paint that have been peeled away and manipulated into flowing, draping forms. These black paint skin elements cascade around and integrate with the metal and pneumatic hose framework, creating a dramatic contrast between the rigid industrial components and the organic, flowing quality of the transformed paint material. The paint skin moves like fabric but carries the weight and character of its original material nature. The pneumatic hoses, associated with industrial equipment and mechanical systems, wind through the composition alongside the paint skin, creating a complex interplay between different industrial materials repurposed for artistic expression.