Tommy Taylor
These paintings draw inspiration from two unexpected sources. The first was a child’s artwork I saw on a client’s refrigerator, an exuberant, uninhibited burst of color that reminded me of the power of unfiltered expression. The second came from my own studio practice. I often work with multiple palettes, and after each session their accidental marks and natural color harmonies felt like artworks in themselves. I began saving them on my wall, and their spontaneity ultimately shaped this body of work.
The exhibition title, Transformer, reflects the shifting relationship between figure and ground within these pieces. Even in abstraction, suggestions of atmosphere and form appear, dissolve, and re-emerge. I’m interested in allowing solid elements to fade so the surrounding space can envelop them, emphasizing the fluidity between presence and absence.
At their core, these works explore transformation of ideas, of paint, and of color as layers overlap, interact, cancel each other out, and reveal new moments of clarity. Elements rise and recede, creating a continuous sense of movement that drives the work forward.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Tommy Taylor was born in Colorado Springs, Colorado in 1969. He grew up in Greenville, South Carolina, where he began studying fine art at a young age at the Greenville Art Museum. He continued to develop his skills at the Fine Arts Center in high school and later earned a BFA in Drawing and Painting from the University of Georgia.
Since graduating, Tommy has worked as a freelance artist, contributing to a wide range of projects for nightclubs, restaurants, retail environments, and private residences across the country. Alongside his commercial work, he maintains an active studio practice.
Tommy is represented by Whitespace Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia, where this marks his fourth exhibition.