Andrew Taylor/ Andrew Taylor

March 9, 2016

Milja Ficpatrik

Ok, I know it's so damn corny to quote somebody just to describe yourself, let alone Confucius, but this quote says all about my relationship with Widewalls, so forgive me for doing this: Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life. Am I forgiven?

The unbearable intensity of today’s society doesn’t leave much space to chance upon and reproduce something purely beautiful. Well, it seems that Andrew Taylor managed to do so, leaving out any cynicism. His work speaks about transient and short moments, embodied through his gentle floral motifs.

Taylor’s art reminds us of our ephemeral existence and the beauty of it

Inspired by Redon, Kiefer, Polke and David Lynch

Andrew Taylor was born in Melbourne, Australia. He got his BFA at the Victorian College of the Arts, in 1987. During his artistic ripening, this painter and printmaker developed a strong fascination with Redon’s dreamlike world, Kiefer’s flora, and enigmatic Sigmar Polke. A dark touch of the Lynch-like world just adds a certain weight to his pieces, without disturbing his enthusiasm about things accessible in a new millennium.

Taylor’s art seems to remind us of our ephemeral existence and the beauty of it, by depicting images of nature – alluring but also fragile and short-winded at the same time. One can’t but admire this artist’s invested energy and his persistence in taking a break and simply reflecting – something that is completely opposite to a modern word reputation – hectic and hyperventilating with speed. Andrew keeps defending his art for not being intellectual – he rather defines it as deeply personal, coming from his heart, where only emotions rule. Even though his artistry originates from such intimate place, surely affected by different injustices of our world, Taylor insists that it has nothing to do with angst and its unbearable anguish of life.

Segretier’s surreal use of photography

Following the Ars Longa, Vita Brevis Philosophy

Taylor’s mothering of hope to overcome any situation feeds on a constant struggle with a burden of everyday life. That struggle is visible in his effort to encourage and cheer himself and the people who get the chance to meet his artworks – as he continues to paint the moment that is gone forever but somehow preserved in his canvas. Nice way to trick a transience of life, right? Ars longa, vita brevis – in all its glory!

Andrew’s passion for Asian art practice is very much present in his work, from the technique of printmaking and woodblock to its way of looking at things. No wonder he draws inspiration from that source- having in mind, for example, Chinese commitment to contemplation. Mastering a search for beauty and strength all around him, this painter has found a way to walk that high-wire between figurative and abstract composition, creating a color language of his own that both sides seem to understand. His vibrant pieces defy this digitalized and alienated society, refusing to give up in front of this globalized age, falsely commoditized.

This artist is represented by The Cat Street Gallery.

Andrew Taylor lives in Los Angeles, together with his wife, a famous actress Rachel Griffiths.

Artwork images copyright © artist
Andrew Taylor’s profile image copyright © Natty Solo