Artist Joe Taylor
Born and raised in rural Northern Nevada, Montana-based ceramic artist Joe Taylor explores the emotional state of wonder through his abstract sculptures, which investigate the intricate relationships between people, landscapes, creatures, and the natural world. Rooted in curiosity and play, his work reflects a fascination with the microscopic and macroscopic, the human and the geological. A former K-12 art educator for 15 years, Taylor embraces inquiry as a transformative learning tool.
He recently graduated with an MFA in Ceramic Sculpture from the University of Montana. He is currently a long term artist in residence at Red Lodge Clay Center.
"I create abstract ceramic sculptures that blend elements of the human body with features of the natural world. My practice is deeply rooted in curiosity about the world and the belief that wonder and play are powerful avenues for learning. My process begins with spontaneous mark-making in my sketchbook through which I explore the movement of my wrist and arm. The movement and reach of my joints are recorded as arching lines and sweeping bends. These drawings often evoke rock outcroppings, reminiscent of landscapes found in the mountains of the American West—places that captivate me and spark my wonder. I then bring these forms into my studio space through maquettes and larger sculptures. Much of my process is shaped by my explorations of the Nevada wilderness and my experience teaching K-12 art, both of which have deepened my appreciation for the world around us. Material exploration is central to my practice, mirroring the tactile experience of route-finding in the wilderness. The destination of my work is revealed only through the process of making, as each decision and risk taken is a response to the material’s parameters, much like navigating the elements of a landscape. Every choice becomes a record of discovery, a tactile way of knowing both place and self. The questions that emerge in my practice rarely lead to definitive answers, but instead act as a mirror, reflecting my interests, interpretations, aspirations, and challenges. My work exists primarily as Biomorphic Abstraction which draws on nature to create forms that allude to being alive. Elements of my works can also be considered “Blobjects” as identified by Kareem Rashid, and thus possess qualities that simultaneously reference ancient and futuristic construction. By blending forms found in nature with forms that reference the human body I am exploring the ways they relate to each other and to their environment. My non-objective artworks challenge the efficiency and logic of our modern age by rejecting traditional utility and identification. By placing these mysterious, organic forms in built environments—such as our homes—creates an acknowledgment of our intrinsic connection to nature. Through this, I aim to foster a deeper sense of belonging to the natural world, making our inhabited spaces more livable and meaningful."
Tell us a little about yourself (where you are from) and your background in the arts.
I originally grew up in Northern Nevada where I was initially hooked on exploring wilderness areas and having adventures. The grandeur of those landscapes instilled a lot of humility in me and a deep appreciation for nature. To this day I am constantly trying to find ways to express how places like that made me feel connected to nature instead of separate from it.
So in 2008 I earned my BFA at a small liberal arts school in the Sierra Nevada Mountains, so I could stay close to wilderness areas, and after graduation I decided to stay in the area instead of going to graduate school. I ended up working as a K-12 art teacher for the next 15 years at a small school that was based on Outward Bound. I learned about creating meaningful learning moments with students and the value of pushing our comfort levels as a form of finding connection and growth. Child age students can be their own type of wilderness, from which I learned how to look closely at the world and to gain knowledge through play and curiosity. All of which would later find its way into my sculpture practice.
Eventually, I decided to go back to school for an MFA in Ceramic Sculpture which I completed at The University of Montana in Missoula. I had wonderful professors and colleagues there that helped me find myself in my work which is what I am still creating today.
Currently, I am living and working in Red Lodge Montana as a Long Term Resident Artist at the Red Lodge Clay Center. Lucky for me, this place too is surrounded by wilderness areas.
What kind of work are you currently making?
I am currently making abstract ceramic sculpture that I like to call "blobjects". A blobject can be simply described as a blobby object, and more eloquently be described as a form that represents of our world as a fluid and constantly changing place.
Blobjects can be found in many places such as river rocks in a stream to the organs or cells of the human body, to plant and animal structures, in pop culture such as cartoons or fashion, in technology as sleek product design, the industrial design of building and parks, or even science fiction novels. Blobjects are kind of everywhere, and we are them too.
My art making practice is deeply rooted in exploration, and after much contemplating about my interests and influences I realized that blobjects were a sort of common denominator for my interests. I saw them as large eroded granite boulders when I was out hiking in the woods, they were in physiological diagrams of the body that fascinated me in doctors offices, they were also in the wacky counter culture media I grew up with such as Rocco's Modern Life, or Ren and Stimpy, and in the Apple computer products that came onto the market as I was coming of age.
My process begins with lots of drawings because they allow me to quickly design sculpture without much material or time investment. Art is a process for me that does not always have a destination in mind at first, so I try to let my hands do the thinking as the forms emerge. Then I reflect on the interactions between the forms I have created, and fuss with them and work out any kinks with small sculptures and studies, until I find one that I really like and decide to create it on a larger scale.
When I begin working large in clay it forces me to use my engineering brain and to follow a strict plan. It is slower process and less inventive, but the large scale of the work gives it life and a sense of autonomy that it doesn't have when it is a drawing or small sculpture.
I enjoy the process of working small and loose and then large and structured because of the way it keeps me flexible with my approach to making. The small works possess more dynamic compositions while the large works have more presence in the room. Together they help each other out.
What is a day like in the studio for you?
My studio day usually begins with a check in on the sculptures I have in process, a check in on the studio Cat "Babu" and a check in on my todo list for the day. Ceramics often requires a lot of time for drying and firming up, so I end up working on multiple projects at once. Three or four sculptures being built simultaneously is just about the perfect number because by the time I put a layer on the last piece the first one is dry enough to support its next layer.
I work in a very clean studio for a ceramics studio because it is shared amongst many other artists. This usually means that I will dedicate some part of my day to cleaning personal and shared spaces. This really helps to keep the dust down in the studio as well which keeps us all safe from bad dust particles in the air.
If I am building a lot of work, opposed to glazing or firing the work, I will also be dedicating a portion of my day to prepping materials. This might mean rolling out slabs of clay and storing them under plastic, mixing up recycled clay, making glazes and slips, or building crates for shipping work.
And lastly, at night I like to spend a little time on the computer. I update my database of calls for entry and other opportunities, write emails, edit photos of work and other similar tasks. A little bit each day helps me stay up to date on getting work out of my studio and into the world.
What are you looking at right now and/or reading?
Recently I just flip flopped from reading a Tom Robbins book "Skinny Legs and All" to reading a more serious novel by Cormac McCarthy called "Cities of the Plain". I love to read books and my taste is all over the place the same way my music interests are.
I have also been doing some research on caves because I recently visited "Lewis and Clark Caverns" in Whitehall, MT. The formations in the caves blew my mind and have encouraged me to try to find ways to bring some elements of time into the building of my surfaces of my work. For millions of years these cave formations grew from slowly dripping water, and I would love to figure out a way to reference that in my work.
Where can we find more of your work? (ex. website/insta/gallery/upcoming shows)
Website: https://www.jtaylor.art/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joegingles/
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