JANICE TAYLER

“Navigate the space between serenity and instability.”

BIOGRAPHY

Born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, Tayler now resides with her husband in the Pacific North West. Since 2004 she has sold and exhibited her work across Canada, the USA and Europe. In Canada she is represented by Warehouse Artworks, Wayne Arthur Gallery and Gallery Lacosse in Winnipeg. In the USA she is represented by Ryan James Gallery in Kirkland, Seattle and 1515 Lincoln Gallery in Oklahoma City.

ARTIST INSIGHTS

How are your background and life experiences connected to your art?

Navigating space has been my life since I can remember. Starting as a young child I spent years as a ballet dancer and later a modern dancer. The gestural vocabulary I developed through training, performing and choreographing has led me to a path as a visual artist.

Who are some of your biggest artistic influences?

Seeing the work of Francis Bacon started me on my exploration of visual art. While completing my BFA the gestural work of the NY Abstract Expressionists and German artists Anslem Kiefer sent me further into the abstract world.

How have you developed your artist career?

I received a BFA with distinction in Painting & Drawing from Concordia University in Montreal. I worked as a studio assistant for a Montreal artist who taught me the business side of the art world. For many years I was part of a drawing group who met weekly to draw from the live model. Teaching art for years has developed my skills. I've taken mixed media workshops and most recently a block printmaking class.

What does your artistic work intend to communicate to its audience?

Through abstraction I would like my audience to have a visceral and emotional response to the work. I believe the marks, colors and forms can strike a deep resounding chord in the viewer. Similar to dance visual art is a silent artform that can amaze, inspire and heal.

Does your work comment on any current social or political issues?

I use imagery based on photographs of abandoned or demolished bridges, buildings or other structures. I also use collage in my work from discarded materials. This speaks to my concern with the environment and urban decay.

Do you have a particular story that stands out from your career as an artist?

One client was so moved by my work it brought him to tears.

What is one thing you would like your audience to know about you?

My commitment and gratitude for my visual art practice is as strong today as it was 20 years ago.

Which current art world trends are you following?

Increasing art accessibility. During the past 2 covid years the art world is changing. Museums, major art institutes and galleries have to change with it. Technology has become extremely important.

Why have you chosen to sell your work in the 1515 Lincoln Gallery?

From the very beginning Susan has been welcoming, transparent and interested in the exchange of ideas through monthly artist zoom meetings. She has a strong vision for 1515 Lincoln Gallery and works tirelessly to realize this vision.

What do you believe makes 1515 Lincoln Gallery distinct from other galleries?

The interest in thinking outside the box to develop a future for the gallery.

ARTIST STATEMENT

My mixed media compositions are made of oil paint, newspaper and sand. They refer directly to urban life and the natural environment. I use images from photographs and drawings of the devastation of the urban landscape from natural and manmade disasters, architectural skeletal structures such as unfinished construction or demolished sites, partly finished bridges, abandoned and decaying industrial sites. These images I juxtapose with images of organic, abstracted rocks, roots, trees and water. Typically, I use many layers of scraping back and adding. I loosely base my compositions on that of classical landscape painting with the positioning of forms carefully placed to present a harmonious, balanced and timeless visual aesthetic. In my palette choices I explore color combinations that are unexpected in contrast with those found in nature. I maintain that only through abstraction can the viewer tap into their unconscious and access the sublime in their imagination.

“I believe the marks, colors and forms can strike a deep resounding chord in the viewer. Similar to dance visual art is a silent artform that can amaze, inspire and heal.”