SOMA NewArt GALLERY

SEAN TAYLOR “HOT FUN: Further Examination of the American Dream”
Artist’s Statement

The American Dream – ‘work hard and you can attain whatever you want.’
It takes a lot to keep such an ideal afloat, and in spite of its theoretical pitfalls the American Dream is very much alive and kicking. To examine such a concept requires an equally complex equation. In this respect my paintings challenge the viewer, they should be read closely as well as from a distance. They offer at once a serious and humorous metaphorical commentary on the current state of the American Dream.

Although I utilize imagery from the recent past, “Hot Fun” is designed to examine the current status of the American Dream. I found that combining these early Cold War era scenarios with a contemporary field creates a connection between that era and the present. These connections are not arbitrary. I believe the decisions and actions taken by the U.S.A. during that period have had serious consequences. I am also commenting on the present-day movement to recreate the fear and paranoia that was typical of the Cold War era.
I create my paintings to be physically "present” involved contraptions in and of themselves. The construction of the painting support is as important to me as the actual painted image. Many of the paintings are multi-paneled ”sectionals, connected by an array of bolts and hinges. The resulting structure is vaguely reminiscent of the design in a medieval altarpiece or of the page of a comic book. The individual panels are at times covered with canvas that further dissect the image in a sublime grid-like system, often fading into the thick layers of applied paint. Its sections may contain a figure, or serve, as a domain the figure seems to ignore. This system of compartments is intended to introduce dimensions and themes to the work including the passing of time or memory, society's limitations and constraints, and the need to question and examine what lies beneath the surface.

The juxtaposition of a cotton-candy colored palette with evocative imagery is another facet of the work. My plan is that the audience be lulled by the pastel colors, only to be forced to reckon with the challenging narrative that is implied in the imagery. Another example of such dichotomy lies in the presentation of the figures; some of the characters exist in an ethereal state as if caught in a trance, while others are more realized, perhaps there to observe the occurrence.

My intention is to provide an arena that contrasts nostalgia for the past with the speed of the present everyday life. The world is full of duality and nuance, and I attempt to capture that in my paintings. Aesthetically, I draw from an interest in things classical, a minor obsession with Titian, and an admiration for the work of contemporary neo-realist painters. The subject matter comes in part from my own experience and memories. I feel a need to examine the question: "How did we get here?" I am curious about the dilemma that America now finds itself in. I believe that the root of our problems and success lies in the actions of our past. That is why I refer to imagery from recent decades, in order to zero in on this theory. Ultimately in "Hot Fun" I am suggesting a simple thought: that we might benefit from questioning the exact nature of ‘desire’ and the weight it carries in the American Dream.