The SOMA New Art Gallery in Cape May welcomes a new exhibit this month entitled “Always Chasing Rainbows,” by Sean Taylor, a somewhat “native son.” I say somewhat and I could explain but I think Mr. Taylor could do it better and shed some light on what he’s all about…
“I was never very good at relaxing. I moved here, and Cape May taught me how to relax. I first came here with my family back in 1970 and stayed at the Point. I had just turned six. I recently found a stack of photos from that vacation and have made a series of paintings based on those. I call these Scrapbook Diagrams, and in the process of creating them I found myself treating the whole process as an child’s
afternoon art project, complete with typed titles and explanatory numbered reference points. The toy paintings in the same room are inspired by found objects from a series of beach walks I made this past winter with my wife, Peri. The titles for these paintings refer to the way I used to describe my own toys as a child.
“Ultraman” and channel 29 Roller Derby happen to be some of my favorite childhood television programs. When I moved here in 1997 I was going through a rough patch in life. I had a lot of anxiety. Everything was sort of difficult and I had to learn how to slow down and focus on something. I had a lot of spare time on my hands and decided to learn how to paint, not knowing that it would become my future career.
“Poverty 97,” and “12 years” have something to do with this period of my life. In the paintings such as “Aquation” and “Looking for Stuff” I’m trying to paint the idea of too much information creeping in to upset the sense of peace–and how we eventually deal with it and move on. That’s what the erosion charts refer to– the unstoppable amount of stimuli that has to be processed and dealt with in order to get back to a peaceful existence. On a side note, I recently found a term paper I did on erosion on the Delaware Bay area when I was in Junior High. So I guess you could say I’ve been interested in erosion for some time now.”
Taylor’s trademark style is recognizable in the atmospheric blues and grays with distant muted horizons. Taylor’s grand scale and luscious paint quality combined with these beach-life motifs make this show a must-see for all Fine Art lovers in town this summer.
Sean Taylor is a graduate of the Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, he has shown at many galleries in Philadelphia and across the region.
He works mainly in oils on constructed panel, drawing inspiration from personal experience and memories, and from the present environment of American life. Current themes in his work include desire and sexual tension, hope and futility, nostalgia and childhood. His consistent sales at galleries and juried art fairs across the region have placed his work in many private collections in the U.S. and overseas.
Exhibit: July 5 to August 3
Please contact the gallery at (609) 898-7488 for prices and further information.
