The Jungle Husband

My new solo exhibition, 'The Jungle Husband', opens Saturday 7 May 2016 at .M Contemporary Gallery in Sydney. The body of work is a personal interpretation of the well known Stevie Smith poem of the same name.

Related links:

http://mcontemp.com/events/michael-taylor/

http://www.facebook.com/MContemporary/

http://www.facebook.com/michael0taylor

http://www.facebook.com/events/1004343549642619/

Out with the guns in the jungle stew, Michael Taylor, 2016, Gouache on paper, 150 x 125 cm

 

Trophies

My new solo exhibition, Trophies, opens Saturday 19 September at Whatiftheworld Gallery in Cape Town. Please join us for a springtime morning opening at 11am.

http://www.whatiftheworld.com/exhibition/trophies/

http://www.facebook.com/events/536728113162888/

http://www.artsy.net/show/whatiftheworld-trophies

The Commoner, Michael Taylor 2015, Flashe and ink on paper, 140 x 110 cm

 

VOLTA NY 2015

At the beginning of March, new works will be presented as a solo presentation by Whatiftheworld Gallery at Volta NY 2015. The satellite fair to The Armory Show showcases work by emerging international galleries and their artists.

Michael Taylor Volta NY artist page:
http://ny.voltashow.com/Michael-Taylor.8306.0.html

Volta NY 2015:
http://ny.voltashow.com/VOLTA-NY.voltany.0.html

Whatiftheworld Gallery:
http://www.whatiftheworld.com/

Facebook page with exhibition and new work updates:
http://www.facebook.com/michael0taylor

Lucky dip (Michael Taylor, 2015, Gouache and acrylic on paper, 156,5x150cm)

I was born yesterday 03/09/14 - 03/10/14

My current solo exhibition, I was born yesterday, runs from September 3rd to October rd3 2014 at Whatiftheworld / Gallery in Cape Town.

Follow these links for associated press:

Between 10 and 5
http://10and5.com/2014/09/03/i-was-born-yesterday-by-michael-taylor-a-spectacular-staged-race/

VISI magazine
http://visi.co.za/content/article/2882/inside-look-michael-taylors-art-collection

Whatiftheworld / Gallery
http://whatiftheworld.cmail1.com/t/ViewEmail/d/1D9208D4AE7C4B8C/DAD1F21AADA4FFB29A8E73400EDACAB4

Head over heels, Michael Taylor 2014, Gouache and pencil on paper, 98 x 70 cm

Mr. December (Judas), Michael Taylor 2014, Acrylic on board, 60 x 40 cm

I was born yesterday, Michael Taylor 2014, Whatiftheworld / Gallery installation view.

Exhibition update: I Was Born Yesterday

My new exhibition of paintings and drawings opens Wednesday September 3rd at Whatiftheworld / Gallery. Follow this this link to preview works on the show:

http://www.whatiftheworld.com/exhibitions/2014/07/30/i-was-born-yesterday-by-michael-taylor/

http://www.facebook.com/events/662420660521657/?fref=ts

The Cruising, Michael Taylor 2014, Gouache & acrylic & pencil on paper, 170 x 150 cm

Boy meets world #4, Michael Taylor 2014, Pastel on paper, 150 x 120 cm

Mr. June (Bartholomew), Michael Taylor 2014, Acrylic on board, 60 x 40 cm

I was born yesterday

My upcoming solo exhibition, I was born yesterday, opens September 3rd at Whatiftheworld / Gallery in Cape Town. 

Links:

http://www.whatiftheworld.com/exhibitions/2014/07/30/i-was-born-yesterday-by-michael-taylor/

http://www.whatiftheworld.com/

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Whatiftheworld-Gallery/184849581557454

http://www.facebook.com/michael0taylor

Press release:

WHATIFTHEWORLD is pleased to present I was born yesterday an exhibition of new work by Michael Taylor.
 
This new body of work sees the artist returning to the seas, a penchant metaphorical space in which Taylor unleashes his imagined characters. I was born yesterday follows the events of stereotyped gentlemen tribes, coming together in a spectacular staged race. An eccentric romp, fictionalising a battle of the male egos and parodying masculine attitudes.
 
Bands of men appear theatrically spread out in scenes of nonsense rituals, uncomfortable teaming, unseemly gestures, and small misadventures. These colourful tableaux depict man as confident, youthful, and eager, revelling in his wanderlust with an ignorant, bright expression. 

Pervading the image surface are visible traces of preliminary sketches and movements that supplement the unlikely nature of the protagonists. Their portraits are contradictions. Figures appear devoid of certainty, with features left blank, they can be described only by their shadows and ill-colouring.


The body of work is presented in a series of large-scale drawings and painting installations. Group portraits are placed facing each other, or touching in some cases, implying a sense of similitude and the illusion of togetherness. 

Taylor’s work brings together different visual lexicons to challenge notions of representation and narrative art. His interpretations are fuelled by a keen interest in unconventional perspectives, exaggeration, intense colour use, and awkward expression. 

Mr. March (James the great), Michael Taylor 2014, Acrylic on board, 60 x 40 cm

2014 Update

Upcoming solo exhibition at Whatiftheworld / Gallery, Cape Town, opens 3 September 2014.
The show will feature new paintings, large scale gouache works, and new pastel drawings.
Focusing predominantly on abstract figuration and imagined narratives, the body of work acts as a follow up to 2012's Mumbo Jumbo.

2014 selection:

Professional apeshit, Michael Taylor 2014, Gouache and acrylic on paper, 180 x 150 cm

Seven kinds of fun, Michael Taylor 2014, Gouache and ink on paper, 180 x 150 cm

Proud Rondebosch family, Michael Taylor 2014, Charcoal on paper, 151 x 151 cm

Vampire picnic, Michael Taylor 2014, Gouache and ink on paper, 180 x 150 cm

Home Truths

A new series of my large scale drawings, entitled 'Home truths', is on show in Sydney at M.Contemporary from 6 February till 16 March 2014. All works can be previewed on my Facebook profile.

Michael Taylor
http://www.facebook.com/michael0taylor
 
M.Contemporary
http://www.facebook.com/MContemporary?fref=ts
http://mcontemp.com/

Laundry day cowboy (Michael Taylor, 2014, Gouache and acrylic on paper, 180x150cm)

New monotypes

Warren Editions has just published a new series of monotypes that I made earlier this year.

James Macdonald writes:

Over a period of 5 months, Michael Taylor produced a remarkable body of new work at Warren Editions. Pushing the boundaries of monotype (a medium suited to his loose and painterly style), his insistence on “brighter, bolder!” had Zhané Warren and a busy team of printers nosing through recipe books, experimenting with pigments and bonding agents, and mixing-up at last a custom palette of watercolours able to deliver the kind of riotous visual assault and punch envisaged by the artist.

True to style, Michael extends in this new series the ‘man–island’ metaphor of his recent solo exhibition Mumbo Jumbo (Whatiftheworld Gallery, 2012) to a quirky sort of ‘man–afternoon boating party’ metaphor. Within the ongoing tragicomedy of the artist’s practice, the high-society leisure moments of this imaginary landscape stage a curious exhibition of pathos, self-parody and plain tomfoolery.

View the works here:
http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.565031930198531.1073741829.173491999352528&type=1

The house next door (Michael Taylor, 2013, Water- and oil based monotype on Zerkall Intaglio 250gsm, 81 x 69 cm, published by Warren Editions)

Etchings

Warren Editions has recently published 5 new etchings that I completed at the beginning of this year. These images are currently on the show, 'Off the press - New editions & monotypes', at Warren Editions Projects.

http://www.warreneditions.com/?page_id=91 (Michael Taylor works available through Warren Editions)
http://www.warreneditions.com/?p=3269 (Warren Editions Projects exhibition page)
www.facebook.com/pages/Warren-Editions/173491999352528?fref=ts (Warren Editions on Facebook)

Neighbour (Michael Taylor 2013, Soft ground etching and lift ground aquatint on Zerkall Intaglio 250gsm, 49.5x39.5cm, Edition of 30)