current

upcoming

past

Ships by John Taylor

February 5 - March 28, 2009

OPENING FIRST THURSDAY: Thursday February 5, 2009 - 6pm-8pm
OPEN DAILY: Wednesday thru Saturday 11am-5pm
CLOSING: Saturday March 28, 2008
WHERE: Garde Rail Gallery - 110 Third Avenue South - Tel.206.621.1055

Fresh from his solo exhibition at the Boise Art Museum last spring, John Taylor returns to Garde Rail Gallery with a show of new work. The show will feature several of John’s ship sculptures, as well as pieces that see the work moving into exciting new directions.

John will be in the gallery for March First Thursday, March 5, from 6-8pm.

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, and has shown at major art fairs across the country, including the Outsider Art Fair in NYC.

John Taylor