#Interview 001: Meet Austyn Taylor
Pop Folk Animal Sculptures Bring Optimism, Joy and Good Luck!
Conversations with Artists
We discovered Austyn Taylor through one of Poet and/the Bench's customers who suggested we meet her and learn more about her figurative animal-focused art. Austyn works mostly across sculptural ceramics and we were captivated by her imaginative personification of animist history, especially her modern and refined pieces that in their restraint exude a graphic quality. Austyn is a working artist, originally from Rochester, NY and with a masters from famed Alfred University, known for their ceramics program.
8 Questions with Austyn Taylor
Describe the moment you realized art fed your soul.
My earliest memories at 5 were of wanting to be an artist and (a New York person'd idea of) a cowgirl.
Turned out I was terrified of horses so I went full artist at a young age.
Chess Not Checkers
What themes do you pursue in your art?
I am a humanist, optimist and I suppose, a humorist, too. I make work that is strong and bold while balancing honesty and humility.
Everyday Bunny
Tell us about what influences the direction for your ceramic and drawing collections.
I am the result of watching too many cartoons in the 80s, patriotism and Unitarian Universalist world peace propaganda. I make a variety of work, but always think to reference beautiful contemporary design, art history and ancient animist/mystical/spiritual works of humanity.
I am pursuing multi dimensional work which works for multiple levels of human experience.
The work is accessible for people without a background in art history and esoteric mysticism but also has Easter eggs (hidden meaning or a special discovery) for people into Gilgamesh, Egyptology and Gertie the Dinosaur.
Sparta
How has your work developed over time?
Early on I studied as an illustrator and focused on mind/body philosophy. I came to clay as a solution for teaching difficult middle school students as a charter school art educator in Denver, CO. Later, I was a technical assistant for Doug Jeck at Haystack Mountain School in Maine, which was a real turning point in sophistication for my sculptural work.
Honestly, my best work is happening right now and I am very happy for an opportunity to show in America's best state, holy California!
Lucky us, animals that imagine being human.
Geese Family Commission
What’s the most indispensable item in your studio?
This one wood tool that I got 8 years ago from my old teaching gig in CO. It does everything I need. It is getting worn from years of clay use so I might need to handcraft a new one soon...
Do you collect anything?
I used to collect lovely rocks that spoke to me on the trail. Being an artist full time has required me to reduce the amount of physical stuff I own. I do have a few small works by awesome artists I admire that I got through assistant-ships or trade.
What’s the most inspiring thing you’ve seen, read, watched or listened to recently?
Robert Sapolsky’s Youtube lecture series on Human Behavioral Biology at Stanford is pretty rad as well as "Maps of Meaning" a University of Toronto lecture series that features a 33 hour psychoanalytical analysis of Disney's Pinocchio. Working in the studio gives me time to listen to a variety of lecturers: David Bohm, Terence McKenna, Marshall Rosenberg, Alan Watts and others more or less controversial.
Jeremy and Ophelia
What advice would you give to your younger self about your artistic journey?
Haha I don't think I would have listened to me if I talked to younger me... So much of who I am has been shaped by who I was.
I don't think I would be making this work if I wasn't me.
Bonus Question:
What role does music play for you while you work?
I usually try to listen to something informative about subjects that interest me– history, sociology, psychology, philosophy etc. Pre-pandemic I was listening to some Velvet Underground, Animals, Donovan, Tom Jones, the Kinks. :) The "Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas" soundtrack was one of my favorite CD's as a teenager.
Follow this link to view Austyn's available works for sale at Poet and/the Bench. Check out our Austyn Taylor Fine Art page to view other animal sculptures sold to get a feel for her varied range of technique and inspiration.
Please come by or get in touch if you'd like to learn more – we'd love to know this animal menagerie is well cared for.
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For the love of animals.
XO,
Bonnie
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