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John Taylor

California artist John Taylor returns to the Northwest with a show of new ships. Included in this small but exceptional body of work, John has sculpted an incredible version of the Kalakala, a vessel near and dear to Puget Sound ship lore. John will be in attendance opening night.

OPENING RECEPTION WITH THE ARTIST: Thursday March 3, 2005 - 6pm-8pm
OPEN DAILY: Wednesday thru Friday, 11am-530pm; Saturdays 11am-5pm
CLOSING: Saturday April 2, 2005
WHERE: Garde Rail Gallery - 110 Third Avenue South - Tel.206.621.1055
AND ONLINE: www.garde-rail.com

John's ships are based on actual vessels, from Civil War-era river boats to WWI battleships. He has been assembling his ship sculptures since 1997, after a visit home, where he came across a trunk of mementos belonging to his great-grandfather, who had served in the navy during the Spanish-American war. A photograph of the sailor standing on the deck of a ship fueled the spark and John's fixation with ships began to pervade into his daily life.

Working with found objects collected from around his southern California surroundings, John works in his garage on evenings and weekends. His ships are interpretations rather than models, as John works from a particular feeling he may get and want to convey from an archived image found in a book or on the internet. His ships look as if they have been buried or under water for half a century, but their near-disintegrated appearance showcase his ability to fearlessly manipulate detritus, and also display a well thought out methodology. Year after year, John's work continues to increase in complexity and strength, resulting in amazing pieces that appeal to a wide variety of audiences.

John's work is included in many private collections, including the Microsoft Art Collection, where he will be speaking as a Guest Artist on Friday March 4. John's work was featured in "High Tide", at the Henry Art Gallery in 2003, and his work is also shown in New York, Chicago and Atlanta.

John Taylor