photos / Jena Cumbo
story / Tiffany Tso
It is a commonality in Brooklyn to have your hand in many jars. We are a city full of bartenders who are musicians, designers who work in retail, accountants who make artisanal ice cream on the side, et cetera. Samantha York is no stranger to the multi-occupational lifestyle and, in fact, is a master at the art. With artist, model and set designer already tucked under her belt, we are certain Sam will continue to expand her CV before she even turns 25.
Her artistic endeavors have led Sam to starting up her own art magazine, aptly named TASTY, which comes out quarterly with accompanying galleries and showcases her and her artist friends’ work. “I knew all these incredibly talented people, but I didn’t feel like I was connected to any platform that would work for all of us,” Sam said about coming up with TASTY with friend/designer Matt Yu. “I thought maybe I should be that platform.”
Though it brought her to New York, Sam admits that “modeling has taken a backseat” to her art and her set design work with Matt Jackson, with whom she has been working with on and off for the past three years. She was signed to Trump in 2011, giving her the opportunity to relocate to NYC from Austin, Texas. Still with Trump, Sam has been photographed by industry favorites including Ryan McGinley and Richard Kern, has been a face for Uniqlo and Steve Madden, amongst many, and continues to contribute to that side of art production.
Art is inarguably her true passion. “Don’t we all want to be artists when we grow up?” she asked earnestly, when questioned about her goals. “That’s the dream, getting to create and survive, simultaneously.” And we foresee SamYork continuing to do just that. Learn more: tastyzine.com.
