Art lovers in Amarillo! Tonight, Friday, June 28, from 6-9pm , stop by Chalice Abbey Center for Spirituality and the Arts (2717 Stanley) for the opening of the exhibition “Domestic Spaces” by WTAMU student and gifted painter Aaron Taylor. He stopped by High Plains Morning to discuss his show, his work, and his studies at WT. Here's the full event listing, and you cal click the linnk below to hear his full interview.
MORE ABOUT THE ARTIST: Aaron Taylor is a young artist who has committed to learning traditional artistic techniques, but is also exploring the subtleties of emotional expression these techniques can yield. Currently a student at WTAMU, Taylor’s current body of work is a series of portraits that seek to link the personality of the sitter with the space that they occupy. The works have a quietude and introspection that glow with the inner life of the sitters. These large-scale acrylic paintings are all portraits of people the artist knows, and the setting and pose were collaborative efforts with the sitters. Taylor was most interested in harmonizing the qualities of the person and their “domestic space.” That phrase became a touchstone for the artist, who noted that the words may sound bland, but denote an intimate and warm experience of being in another person’s presence and place. “We really do need to stop and see the beauty and depth in daily life,” Taylor says. Every painting had unique visual and technical challenges to solve, but Taylor paid special attention to the skin tones. “It can be hard to make the skin really look alive and unified with the environment.” The color in the paintings is delicate and understated, yet luminous. In “Rebbekah”, Taylor portrays his mother seated on the couch, her lap covered in a blanket, her head resting on folded hands as she gazes into space. “Tooter Jackson” depicts a man playing guitar, bending over his beloved instrument, with a wall of books as backdrop, and the blue light on the side of his face implying a nighttime atmosphere. Taylor is interested in creating contemporary art that connects with “the common person.” “Everybody can get connected to art when they see it,” he says. Please join us at the opening for this thoughtful series of works.
