Stephen M Taylor
"The Music Machine"
Art is remembered for its eccentricities and is celebrated for its voice. New art is often ridiculed as it strays from tradition in order to give something new so that the movement of art maybe provoked to evolve. Once in a great while, we get to experience something new that is worlds beyond what is currently celebrated. In this way, through artist evolution, the world was allowed to enjoy the music of the band Van Halen.
In creating this piece I chose to represent one aspect of the band above all else, which is the primary colors of Eddie Van Halen's guitar. Eddie took a simple piece of machinery and created art through it. The flat red, black and white juxtaposed striping of Eddie's guitars is as iconic as the band itself. My work, although usually shaded to give it a three dimensional appeal, worked well with this juxtaposed aesthetic. I used my imagery with flat color and thick black lines to give it the feel of Van Halen artwork that Eddie's guitars are known for.
The art covers the guitar from front to back and side to side. It moves, and flows around and throughout the guitar itself very much like the music of this band has done from continent to continent, home to home and soul to soul. This Musical Machine has touched the lives of millions of individuals throughout the world. It was a privilege to produce such a piece of art, that would be displayed in their honor. The rhythms and guitar solos of this band have been so iconic that musicians still try to replicate them today. Like Jimi Hendrix, Jimmy Page and Keith Richards, the name Van Halen will ultimately be synonymous with what guitars are for. Van Halen is a symbol of rock and roll. It was my privilege and great pleasure to create such a piece of work for a band that I have loved throughout my childhood and have introduced my children to.
Stephan M. Taylor's work combines action, intensity of emotion, love of fluidity and aggressive objects, and a detailed exploration of line and value shifts within a 2D plane. His work strives to find harmony and balance with line and value, using each interchangeably as the equal combination of the two produces a piece of art that is compelling, exciting, and balanced.
Taylor's work ranges in size from 8" x 11" to 190" x 40" and expresses emotions of love, joy, piece, and patience, within colored works. Taylor uses objects both known and unknown to the human subconscious mind and presents to the viewer an array of imagery that is both aggressive and harmoniously interactive. All the patterns and brush strokes of his work allow for the work to connect with the viewer's subconscious mind in ways that only the individual observer can control.