Thinkspace Projects presents:
AUSTYN TAYLOR
Cookie Monster
Opening Reception:
Saturday, May 6 from 6-10pm
On view May 6 – May 27, 2023 in Gallery III
With a collection named for famous authors, Thinkspace is excited to present their debut solo exhibition with Austyn Taylor. Cookie Monster is inspired by the meanings behind people’s names.
What started as Taylor’s assignment to art students years ago has become the inspiration for this collection of sculptures. With varied influences, each piece is full of personality. With lovable characters and vibrant colors, the sculptures are endearing. This effect is only magnified by the researched history and inspiration behind each work.
Taylor’s panpsychist humorist narrative has led her to create a world of familiar characters–bear, bull, horse, deer, lion, duck, predator, prey etc. Each piece is a declaration, a statement, and an optimistic reframe from the rampant psychological banalities of human narrative.
The sculptures marry Taylor’s view on contemporary design with pop culture. Drawing on both ancient and contemporary sources, she creates works of “folk-pop” that lie somewhere between “hype” and “hope.” Inspired by American animation, Austyn’s art calls back to our animist history where wandering spirits found refuge in masks and idols.
About Austyn Taylor
Austyn Taylor was born in 1984, Rochester, New York. Since obtaining an MFA from Alfred University in 2016 she has pursued life as a nomadic sculptor traveling and lecturing regularly in studios around the world. Residencies include Aout Gallery, Beirut, Lebanon; Guldagergaard, Skælskør, Denmark; China Central Academy of Fine Arts, Beijing, China; Northern Clay Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota; Sonoma Ceramics, Sonoma, California; Midwestern State University, Wichita Falls, Texas; VARDA residency, Sausalito, California; and currently she is in her second year at the historic Mendocino Art Center in Mendocino, California.
Her work has been exhibited internationally and throughout the States, notably at Art Basel (Miami), Art Taipei, UNVT Fair (Madrid, Spain) and SOFA in Chicago.