A CIRCUS OF BEING

ABOUT SYLVIA TAYLOR:

Sylvia Taylor’s art has undercurrents of longing, vulnerability, and ambiguity. Her imagery is both playful and somber. She sees the animal characters in her work not only as ideal metaphors for human desires and predicaments, but also as her collaborators. They participate on an intuitive, poetic level, often taking the work in a direction previously unintended. That is her favorite part. Although her work is inspired by memories and stories that are deeply personal, the underlying sentiments are common to the human condition and shared universally.

The nature of longing suggests an aching desire for something that is always just out of reach. It is an in-between space with irresolvable tension. That tension is elemental to my artistic process. I am interested in messages and sentiments that exist in between the words. I am looking for a certain sweet spot . . . if it is haunting and heart rending with a dash of humor, I will likely find it irresistible.

Sylvia Taylor received her MFA in 2002 from Vermont College of Norwich University. Previously, Sylvia worked as a midwife, nurse, and teacher in a variety of fields and settings, states and countries. She readily acknowledges the ongoing influence of her previous experiences on her current art practice. As she likes to say, every seemingly disparate experience, like it or not, is all grist for the mill. Her work is exhibited internationally and her prints are in many private and public collections. She is originally from New York State and currently resides in Ithaca, New York.