SEAN TAYLOR "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" - Solo Exhibit - June 25 to August 1, 2010
Exhibit Paintings - Contact gallery for more information and prices.
"Identity Crisis" 2010, Oil & Acrylic on Panel, 40" x 60"
"Deconstruction 1", Acrylic on Canvas, 16" x 20" SOLD
"Deconstruction 2", Acrylic on Panel, 20" x 16"
"Deconstruction 3", Acrylic On Canvas, 16" x 20"
"When Losing is Not an Option" 2010, Oil on Panels, 42" x 48" SOLD
"Making Plans" 2010, Acrylic on Panel, 21" x 21"
"Civil Unrest" 2010, Acrylic on Panel, 21' x 21"
"It's Lonely At The Top", Acrylic on Panel and Ribbon, 42" x 42"
"She liked to Play (but not by the rules)" 2010, Acrylic on Panel, 21" x 21"
"Number One-(Unfinished Painting by Numbers", Acrylic On Panel, 40" x 31"
"Be Prepared" 2010, Oil on Panels, 48" x 57"
"Heroine" Mixed Media on Panel, 20" x 16"
"The Science Patrol", Acrylic On Panel, 20" x 16"
"Ultraman Will Save Us", Oil On Panel, 16" x 20"
Action Figures, Acrylic on Canvas, 10" x 10", 11.5" x 9.5", 11.5" x 9.5" SOLD
" I Can See Right Through You", Acrylic and Pencil On Panels, 11.5" x 9.5", 11.5 x 9.5", 11.5" x 9.5" SOLD
"I'm Big In Japan", Acrylic on Panels, 9.5"x 11.5", 9.5" x 11.5", 9.5" x 11.5"
Sean Taylor
Artist Statement- "Life, Liberty
and the Pursuit of Happiness"
I am optimistic. My life has prepared me for this. I no longer feel the need to redefine
myself to meet the ever-changing needs of the outside world. In fact,
I've come to believe that it may well be an illusion that the world is changing
at all. I spent a lot of time exploring the mundane, repetitious, futility
of life. If life is an exercise in futility, then that is why I embrace
it even more. Certainly life will remain as absurd as it has ever been! The
paintings in "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" came from this
realization- that for me, true hope could only exist once I completely
understood my dilemma.
In this respect there is an air of nostalgia, but am I not
still the same as I was then? Some of the paintings have been scraped down to
reveal previous efforts, some have layers of paint splattered across the
surface, I want to see what is below the surface and what is obscuring it. There
is a mixture of innocence and the corrupt, frivolity and violence in the
imagery of work. I am interested in contradictions, for the purpose of
dismantling and deconstructing them. The work is part of my search for beauty, meaning and purpose in life, a
reflection of my own history in the pursuit of happiness.
SEAN TAYLOR Resume:
SOLO EXHIBITS:
2010 "Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness" SOMA Newart Gallery, Cape May, NJ 2010 "Identity Crisis" Artist House, Phila. PA 2009 "The Art of Relaxation" SOMA NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ "Sean Taylor Owes Me Money" Ghostprint Gallery, Richmond, VA 2008 "Hot Fun" SOMA NewArt Gallery, Cape May, NJ. 2008 "Pre-occupation" Artists' House Gallery, Philadelphia, PA. 2007 "Polyptych" Rice Gallery, McDaniel College, Westminster, MD. 2007 "Greetings from South Jersey" Mad Batter, Cape May, NJ. 2005 Ashley Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 2005 "Humpty" Mad Batter, Cape May, NJ. 2004 "Beachscapes" 931 Beach, Cape May, NJ. 2004 "Recent Work" 22 Gallery, Philadelphia, PA 2004 "On Vacation" and "Back to School" Mad Batter, Cape May, NJ. 2003 "Meditative Mood" Mad Batter, Cape May, NJ. 2002 "Back and Forth" Big Jar Books, Philadelphia, PA. 2001 "Well-Lighted Places" Big Jar Books, Philadelphia, PA.
GROUP EXHIBITS 2010 Red Dot Fair, New York, NY 2009 Red Dot Fair, Miami, Flordia 2008 Art Now Fair, Miami, Flordia 2007 Emerging Artist Show, Artists' House Gallery, Philadelphia. PA 2007 Rittenhouse Square Fine Arts Association Juried Spring Show, Philadelphia, PA 2007 Stockley Gardens Juried Art Show, Ghent District, Norfolk, VA 2006 Park Avenue Juried Art Show, Rochester, NY 2006 Ocean Grove Juried Art Show, Ocean Grove, NJ 2006 Allentown Juried Art Show, Buffalo, NY 2006 Rittenhouse Square, Philadelphia. PA 2006 Stockley Gardens. Norfolk, VA 2006 Contemporary Art Center of Virginia Juried Art Show, Virginia Beach, VA 2006 Annual Student Exhibition, PAFA. Philadelphia, PA 2005 Annual Student Exhibition, PAFA. Philadelphia, PA 2005 Columbus Avenue Juried Art Show, New York, NY 2005 Arts on the Green Juried Art Show, Fairfield, CT 2005 Ocean City Art League Annual Juried Art Show, Ocean City, NJ. 2003 The Art League Gallery, Cape May, NJ. 2002 Cape May County Art League Open Juried Show, Cape May, NJ. 2001 Fleischer Arts Memorial Juried Spring Show, Philadelphia, PA.
Awards and Grants 2006 Lance Roy Lauffer Painting Prize, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts (PAFA), Philadelphia, PA 2006 Sundollar Award, Contemporary Art Center of Virginia Juried Art Show. 2005 Richard C. Von Hess Full Year Tuition and European Travel Scholarship,PAFA, Philadelphia, PA. 2005 Jimmy C. Leuders Painting Prize, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA 2005 Don Sabbath Award, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA 2005 Susan Carlen Brown Memorial Prize, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA 2005 Michael G. Capuzzi, Jr. Memorial Endowment, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA 2005 Charles Toppan Prize for Drawing-Noncurriculum, Special Notice, PAFA 2005 Fellowship Juried Prize, Special Notice. PAFA, Philadelphia, PA. 2005 Mario Dal Fabrio Award for Excellence in Art (first prize) Fairfield, CT 2005 Purchase Prize, Ocean City Art League Annual Juried Art Show. OC, NJ 2005 First Place, Cape May Art Show, Cape May, NJ 2004 Charles Crawley Award for Landscape, Special Notice, PAFA Philadelphia, PA. 2003 Charles Crawley Award for Woodcut, Special Notice, PAFA, Philadelphia, PA. 2002 Third Place, Cape May County Art League Open Juried Show, Cape May, NJ. 2001 Honorable Mention, Fleischer Arts Memorial Juried Spring Show, Philadelphia, PA. Lectures "Polyptych: meaning, influence and creative process" October 30, 2007, McDaniel College,Westminster, MD (visiting artist).
Education 2002-2006 Studio Certificate Program-Painting, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, Philadelphia, PA. 1997-2001 Fleischer Arts Memorial, Philadelphia, PA. 1992-1994 MA Teaching, BA History, Virginia Commonwealth University 1982-1986 BA Sociology, University of Richmond, VA
SEAN TAYLOR - Biography Sean
Taylor was born in London in 1964. He grew up in the small college town
of Swarthmore, Pa. then moved to Argentina where he finished secondary
school. He cites the time he spent in Buenos Aires as life changing,
and a crucial moment in the development of his world-view. Here he saw
a failing military regime, strictly defined class structures, and
ridiculous bureaucracy juxtaposed with a very proud, outspoken and
fun-loving people. The irony was not lost on him. Back in the
States, Taylor studied Sociology, History and Teaching, earning degrees
in each subject. In spite of these successes he experienced a lack of
purpose and a desire for something more to life. He moved to
Philadelphia and attended night classes at a local art foundation,
where he was drawn to figurative painting. He entered the Pennsylvania
Academy of the Fine Arts, studying with painters Bruce Samuelson, Scott
Noel and Sydney Goodman. He won several awards for painting at the
Academy, including the coveted Leuders and Lauffer Awards, as well as
one of the highest awards given by the school, the Richard C. Von Hess
Tuition/Travel Scholarship. Taylor lives on the Delaware Bay in
Villas, NJ with his wife, artist Perianne Richmond-Taylor. Their studio
is located in the wetlands Village of Grassy Sound, overlooking
Hereford Inlet.
