Al Taylor: Pet Stains, Puddles, and Full Gospel Neckless

(Hardback)

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Having begun his studio practice as a painter and draftsman, in 1985 Al Taylor (1948-1999) devised a uniquely innovative approach to process and materials that seamlessly enveloped drawings and three-dimensional objects as he created compositions that were grounded in the formal concerns of painting. Taylor ultimately sought to expand the possibilities of vision in his search for new ways of experiencing and imagining space, and his multi layered investigations of perception across variant dimensions provide the viewer with an insight into the artist's idiosyncratic thinking, his methodology, and his playful sense of humor. Published on the occasion of the artist's 2015 exhibition at the gallery, this catalogue presents a comprehensive examination of Taylor's Pet Stains and Puddles, which encompass a large grouping of interconnected series that were created between 1989 and 1992; as well as works from Taylor's later series Full Gospel Neckless (sic) that the artist made in Denmark for his 1997 solo exhibition at Galleri Tommy Lund. The objects and drawings that comprise these series demonstrate Taylor's relentless curiosity about the process of seeing - that is, how we see and what we see, which he systematically explored by applying a multitude of constantly shifting points of view. The artist's investigations combined metaphor with seemingly incongruous materials and concepts in order to find new relationships between subject matter, space, and meaning.

Reviews

"New York's art world institutions still haven't recognized how good an artist Al Taylor was... What comes across in [Pet Stains, Puddles, and Full Gospel Neckless] is futility and humor, in equal, inseparable doses."--John Yau "Hyperallergic"

Author Bio

Al Taylor (1948-1999) was an American artist known for his uniquely innovative approach to process and materials that encompassed two-dimensional drawings and three-dimensional objects. Taylor ultimately sought to expand the possibilities of vision by creating new ways of experiencing and imagining space and his work provides the viewer with an insight into the artist's thinking and his investigations of perception across several dimensions.

Mimi Thompson is a writer living in New York and Miami. A contributing editor to BOMB Magazine, she has interviewed artists Roni Horn and Judy Pfaff among many others. Most recently, she has contributed catalogue essays on the work of artists Keith Haring, Robert Rauschenberg, and Jane Wilson for museum and gallery exhibitions.