Jo Taylor
Jo Taylor works in a variety of media on a large unrestrictive scale and her style is deliberately abstract with a bold use of colour. Her organic palette is scoured from the immediate landscape and the elements, reminiscent of the work of Prunella Clough and Graham Sutherland. Through her materials she describes muscle tensions and structures, which she was able to study during her residency at the Department of Veterinary Science at Liverpool University. This left Jo with an exceptional knowledge and understanding of animal physiology, leading The Times Art Critic, Rachel Campbell Johnson, to liken her use of anatomy to the artist George Stubbs.
These insights give Jo an understanding that is translated into paintings which contain a sculptural dynamism where the essence of the horse is exposed.
The recurring theme throughout the work of Jo Taylor is the ancient relationship between man, horse and the elements. Her work echoes the classical and renaissance masters as she celebrates the beauty of the beast whilst exploring how our world has evolved through theirs.
Rigorous life drawing and patient observation are the starting points for these visually arresting works. It is through watching, drawing and riding horses that Jo Taylor captures a sense of their power and presence. Like her influences Leonardo and Gericault, Jo is attracted to the expressive body of animals.
As explained by Jane Wheatley of The Times: “Jo does a lot of watching horses; in racing stables and on windy gallops, in the Camargue marshes and at Portuguese Horse Fairs, out in Montana cattle country and on the South African plains. Watching, looking, making sketches, remembering the lift of a hoof, the curve of a neck, the line of a muscle.”
These insights give Jo Taylor an understanding that is translated into paintings which contain a sculptural dynamism where the essence of the horse is exposed.
Jo Taylor has examples of her work in many collections including:
Lady Huntingdon The Duke & Duchess of Bedford
The King Ranch, Texas Lady Oaksey
Claibourne Stud, Kentucky Alan King
The Duke & Duchess of Westminster Liverpool University
Nicky Henderson The Earl Cadogan
Dalham Hall Stud, Suffolk Plantation Stud, Suffolk
The National Centre for Zoonotic Research Mrs D Nicholson
She has had solo exhibitions at
2012 – The Jockey Club
2012 – The Victoria Gallery & Museum, Liverpool
2010 – Lena Boyle Fine Art, London
2002 – 2012 Campden Gallery, Gloucestershire
2001 – 2013 Thompsons Gallery, London
The National Horseracing Museum, Newmarket
