Lauren Taylor

“Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of God than dwell in the tents of the wicked.”

 

My art is a language.  The brush, pallet knife, and oil paint are my vocal cords; the technique is a composite of my vocabulary; the form and composition represent my syntax and grammar; and the subject matter embodies my message.  I have learned that each painting requires me to learn a new language.  Subverting visual conventions as I work, it is a dynamic process of learning new visual vocabulary, editing the physical syntax and revising the aesthetic subject of the painting as its meaning develops and matures.

 

While my visual language translated onto the canvas is not evident to all, my final paintings serve as a platform to ignite contemplation for the viewer and encourage discussion around the intended message.  My beliefs and faith are not shared by all, but it has been an extraordinary part of my journey to witness the transformative impact that each painting has had on my life and others through the process of creation and the explanation of the meaning behind each image to those who have been open to listening.  Painting is not only a medium to give visual form to my own life experiences and relationship with Jesus Christ, but I intentionally paint imagery that invites an audience to approach each painting burdened with their own life experiences and influential memories.  Once a viewer is invested in the visual aesthetics and imagery, it is my hope that he or she will question its intended symbolism and seek to further understand the message or truth expressed by each layer of paint.