Dark and ominous as the night is black, artist Camilla Taylor’s talents go far and beyond her seemingly gothic-based creations—this multi-talented artist uses every kind of media to create imaginative worlds, creatures, drawings, paintings, prints, jewelry and more. Her sculptures are what drew my adoration, but her artistic versatility and incredible personality that continue to draw me back to her work like a moth to a flame.
Faceless, dark and seemingly morbid creatures tiptoe around her world, like aimless wandering souls stuck in a kind of purgatory-like place. Melding craft and modern sensibilities into a unique voice and creative path, Taylor’s art practice ranges from works on paper, and fascinating sculptural works, to jewelry and crafts, and seems to be on the lookout for more. Her path to creativity was not easy, but her creative spirit has grown beyond herself and into a cult-like following, while offering her hands and mind the power to create the most interesting and evocative things.
Raised in a conservative Mormon town in Utah, Taylor did not feel supported or connected to the people or places in that community, but during graduate school at CSU Long Beach, and now living in downtown Los Angeles, her creativity feels right at home. Although much of her work feels figurative, Taylor has been noted to be more fascinated with making things that evoke imagination in her audiences. She is fascinated with how viewers construct their own ideas and stories of her work, and keeps her concepts broad to try to encourage this among her audience. Visually pulling from human emotions like isolation, loss, fragility and oppression, her creations feel familiar and almost recognizable, but are hard to place or identify. She uses drawing and printmaking in a lot of her processes, but sculpture is where she shines.
Her faceless sculptures are haunting and beautiful, some recall the Wheelers in Return to Wizard of Oz, a slightly frightening, sheep-like cult of creatures that push and pull dreams and reality as if it were a game of tug-o-war. Everyone seems to be enamored with Taylor’s work—and rightfully so—as she has an exhibit up at Bermudez Projects with collaborator Erynn Richardson in “SPACELAND III,” which is on view through October 8. Taylor is also the guest artist at Santa Rosa Junior College in Petaluma, California for the month of September, and will be lecturing on her work, and prepping for a solo exhibit there. She also hosts open studio day with other artists in building in downtown Los Angeles on September 25, 2016.
