Text by Michael Semff

“… anything is possible with just a pencil and paper.” (Al Taylor) American artist Al Taylor, who was born in 1948, considered himself more of a painter and draftsman than a sculptor. His European breakthrough was triggered by a series of exhibitions in the early nineties. In less than twenty-five years, he produced an extraordinarily diverse range of very personal and self-willed works, which following his early death in 1999 have been put into new perspective. In addition to his three-dimensional works, Taylor’s drawings are at the center of attention. His inspiration often came from the observation of banal objects and curious situations, and his works reflect his sensitivity to the bizarre and a deep humor which is based on the fact that often the most trivial occasions can be a vehicle to extremely “serious” experiments. Few artists of his generation had a similar range of expressive means, in which sensuality and discipline, energy and control are united.