C. Emerson Fine Arts ::Under the Influence 2 March 6

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Under the Influence 2 March 6 - April 4, 2009

Josh Taylor, "As the sun set, Rose knew that if she didn't find higher ground the serpent would come without warning...." , 8x10", Ink and Acrylic on wood panel, 2009.

Josh Taylor

I'm an illustrator at heart. I'm always trying to tell a story. My work acts as a narrative, a history, of a world that is still coming into being. This world is populated by a variety of strange yet familiar flora and fauna and is a place where anything and everything can and will happen at some point. Most of my work is character based and I try to convey some sort of emotion through each character, whether it be based on something Im feeling or something i want to convey for the story that character is telling. I am strongly influenced by anime, comics, nature (of which I don't see nearly enough of), and various japanese things. With my current work, I am expanding on the history, folklore and natural wonders of the world of Gastonia, where my characters reside. I am also experimenting with the techniques I use to present my work to an audience through the use of found objects and less conventional means of framing.

BIO
Josh Taylor died in the year 2037 at the young age of 57. It is still unclear the exact cause of his death, but there have been a couple of people who were close to Josh that started noticing weird things. While Josh was a private person throughout his life, young Tim McAllister (a neighbor) was sometimes allowed into Josh's house. Josh had Tim run to the store to buy groceries or to mail out some prints. When asked if he noticed anything strange in the days prior to Josh's death, Tim replied, "Yeah, a couple days before Mr. Taylor died, I had came in the back door and found Josh at his drawing table. He had his arm shoved elbow deep into his mouth. It really freaked him out when he saw me, and he tried covering up all the weirdness. He sure was strange." This is important though, because when the autopsy was being performed, Josh was completely cut open. On the inside of his body, it was discovered that Josh had been using his innards as a canvas. While only seen by a handful of people, it has been reported that the art INSIDE of Josh is leaps and bounds greater than anything else done by anybody, anywhere. Unfortunately, the Government seized control of all works of art in the year 2012 (music was seized around 1985), so it will not be issued until the Government decides what to do with it. It is doubtful that it will ever be seen, because his art is dark and controversial. It challenges all authority. It inspires people to question, it inspires people to seek change. One can only wonder what was created inside Josh, perhaps someday we will all be so lucky to see.

Before Josh Taylor died, however, he was born. That is usually how it happens in the game of life, and Josh's life was no exception. Josh was born in a canvas in the town of Ridgewood, New Jersey. The year was 1980 and he was zero years old at the time of birth. He landed on the canvas with a loud "THUD", and Jack yelled out, "Christ, Pat it's a boy, let's call him Joshua". Pat thought that was a wonderful choice of a name, and they went back to lover's land, to start working on the creation of their second piece, which would be finished a few years later, entitled "Bronwyn." Eventually Josh got tired of being stuck in a canvas all the time, so he broke free. He started making puppets, painting, drawing, and being a shithead, as soon as he was liberated. By the second grade the Government was alerted of this talented Josh Taylor. Spies were sent to Chardavoyne Road in Warwick, NY (where the Taylor family had moved) and his house was bugged. Jack and Pat were followed every where they turned. However the spies were not noticed. Government spies are good. Regardless, Josh grew up to be a normal artist. Starving sometimes, catching a break other times. Eventually, the Taylor family started to get paranoid about being followed all the time,so they went to North Carolina and Jack and Pat split up. Pat , Josh and Bronwyn stayed in North Carolina and Jack went to Honduras or Saturn or Spain or something. He acquired a lot of expensive cars in the process. Josh continued with the arting and eventually ended up at the fictional art institute called Pratt in Brooklyn, New York, where he studied Illustration and minored in something art related. He graduated at the top of his class in 2002 and was asked to speak at the graduation ceremony. Josh accepted the invitation and went on for about 25 minutes how he felt the Government was starting to get too closely involved in the art community. Josh had been drinking heavily though, so nothing was really understood. Everyone thought he was insane, and they applauded when he was finally finished.

After Josh graduated from Pratt, he moved into a tiny hermit town in Alaska and painted everyday, sending his work via DHL to his friend Todd Kurpel who was supposedly selling it to art collectors/dealers. However Todd was really selling all of Josh's art to the Government. Todd was making a fortune and only sending Josh enough cash to stay broke. More time passed and then eventually the Government passed the law claiming that They own all art work. Whether it be your child's kindergarten finger painting or Josh Taylor's "The Egyptians". In the year 2012, when the government took over the art world, Josh lost whatever little their was left of his mind. There have been a few people to have claimed to have seen Josh swallowing his hand as far back as 2012. It's a shame really. Another tragedy. Another talented artist to never be seen. With his greatest creation trapped inside of him.

Words by Todd Kurpel

Josh Taylor graduated with honors from Pratt Institute in Brooklyn, NY in 2002. He currently resides and works in the San Francisco Bay area. Taylor has shown his work worldwide in such places as Los Angeles, Berlin, New York, Tampa, Manilla, and Paris. Clients include Grind King, Adio Footwear, Super Rad Toys, and BBDO West.

EXHIBITION HISTORY

SOLO SHOWS
2008
Back to Basics
Alphacult - Long Beach, CA

An Incomplete Theoretical History of a Dying Doppleganger Multiverse
Distinction Gallery- Escondido, CA

2007
The Horriffic Tale of the Tremendous Journey of Dingle Doppleganger
Maxwells - Hoboken, NJ

2006
Gastonion Portraiture
The Parlour Salon and Gallery- Largo, FL

SELECTED GROUP SHOWS
2008
Block Party
Art Whino- National Harbor, MD

Sk8ology
ISM Gallery at Koos Art Center- Long Beach, CA

Project 57
Distinction Gallery- Escondido, CA

Malicious Descent
Carmichael Gallery- LA, CA

2007
The Mind's Eye
Windup Gallery- Mesa, AZ

So Many Selves
Carmichael Gallery- LA, CA

RE:Mission
Thinkspace Gallery- LA, CA

Power in Numbers 2
Nucleus Gallery- Alhambra, CA

PIcks of the Harvest Batch 4
Thinkspace Gallery - LA, CA

Insightful Strokes
Distinction Gallery- Escondido, CA

The In-Crowd
subtext- San Diego, CA

2006
3 Way
Distinction Gallery - Escondido, CA

Square Foot
Thinkspace Gallery- LA, CA

Getting to Know You
HQ Galerie- Montreal

Picks of the Harvest: Batch 3
Thinkspace Gallery- LA, CA

Cannibal Flower (Headlining with The Six)
Infusion Gallery-LA, CA

3 Feet High (Custom Skate Deck Show)
Maxwells - Hoboken, NJ

Land of the Lost
Alpha Cult - Long Beach, CA

2005
313 vs. 813
Covivant Gallery - Tampa, FL

Feral Art Party
Feral Gallery/Skeleton Art
Santa Fe, NM

Marshmallow Land
The Toyroom Gallery - Sacramento, CA

The Show Must Go On Benefit
Vitale Gallery - St. Petersburg, FL

CLIENT LIST
Adio Footwear, San Diego, CA
Gring King Trucks, Los Angeles, CA
BBDO West, San Francisco, CA
Super Rad Toys, Hollywood, CA
LIVE Clothing, Victorville, CA (liveclothing.net)
Ronin Studios, (www.ronin-studios.com)
Counter Culture Comics, Tampa, FL
Crucial Blast Records, Hagerstown, MD
Shot in the Face Records, Philadelphia, PA
Studio Grey, Hoboken, NJ
Mechanoise Labs, France
Natura Design Solutions, Warwick, NY
Straus Newspapers, Monroe, NY
The Warwick Valley Dispatch, Warwick, NY
Commodity Anticorp, Randolph, NJ
Debbie Brooks/Hipntrendy Handbags, Port Jervis, NY
The Jam Room, NJ
Quay Consulting, Nyack, NY
The Rectrix, Morristown, NJ
SugarLoaf Music/Warwick Community Center, Warwick, NY
Oracle Workshop, Chapel Hill, NC