Journals

S ali Taylor is exhibiting at  gallery nine5  in Nolita (NYC) through June 25, 2010. I had the opportunity to interview her in her studio at  efa studios , NYC, before the exhibit opened.  Background   Sali Taylor knew she wanted to create art from a young age. In her family, the creative spirit was nurtured, especially by her grandmother, who taught her to cook, sew, lay a table, crafts and encouraged her to paint. Sali's belief is that we are all creative--however our creativity is often  stifled, and it can be rekindled. Which brought me to the question: Why art? What is it good for? As per Sali, art is good for the soul. It expands our consciousness. When she looks at art, she feels a sense of exhilaration, of freedom, she feels more courageous. One inspiration is Louise Bourgeois, the sculptor, who  recently passed away ; she started her art career late, and created some of her best work when in her seventies.  “Certain artists inspire by formal example, others by giving permission,”  New York Times  art critic  Holland Cotter   wrote . “Ms. Bourgeois is a permission-giver.” Women in particular, especially of "older" generations, always feel like they need permission to do certain things. Sali was raised on a farm in Connecticut and later moved to Vermont, selling maple syrup (maple trees were a "cash crop"), and "living off the grid." She has a Master's Degree in Art History which she taught at the University of Massachusetts. Her husband is a documentary filmmaker, and it became unpractical to continue living far from New York, so the family moved.  Themes  Sali Taylor's current themes revolve around the images of female beauty in today's media and as compared to female beauty though the ages, using classic figures like the  Venus de Milo ,  La  Grande Odalisque ,  and others. The question she poses is, how would an ancient icon from the past fit in-- What would she have to do to fit in, nowadays? In her opinion, the media tends to undermine women's self-esteem in order to sell products, including to very young girls. In doing so, bulimia, anorexia are being exported from the United States to other parts of the world.  Sali’s Vermont country values  clashed with those she encountered in NYC.  Dressing up in her small town meant putting on a clean pair of blue jeans.   In Soho, you can pass by a boutique selling $500 T-shirts while in front of the boutique, a homeless woman is dragging an old T-shirt out of a garbage can.  One painting, "Bags," shows  Grandma's burial, with her favorite  handbag; another, Warrior  Athena , made over, sporting a Cartier bracelet in lieu of her shield.  The artist as a person On a personal note, I enjoyed speaking with Sali, who is a very engaging person! More photos from Sali's studios and from gallery nine5 here .