PRACTICE STATEMENT
“I am interested in the cultural landscape of my area, the symbiosis of human activity and the environment. Forces of nature, the power of the sea and the flow of rivers are inherent in understanding the geography of the Humber Region and its heritage. Industry, housing, and leisure impose themselves onto the evolving landscape. Where human intervention has taken place, it often harmonises with nature. Bridges, lock gates, warehousing and bollards line the route of the Humber Estuary and its tributaries. Newer structures are built and our industrial heritage becomes part of the geology of the area. Along the estuary the land is flat and there are huge skies. Bright light creates deep shadows. Reflections ripple on broad waters, colours sparkle on structures and silhouettes form against flat fields. Dark skies are menacing; colours change with the seasons. I am inspired by these themes along with human stories, writing and poetry. I engage with paint to express my emotions, using brushes and tools to capture movement and texture. Its rich versatility allows me to speak through the images I create. Coloured sketches, monochrome underpaintings and tonal layers of oil paint build up organically into my own interpretation of what I see and feel. I embrace my surroundings by making sound and video recordings which enhance the experience. My paintings capture the light, the moment, have elements of memory and nostalgia, but also speak of today. My next solo show will be held at Burton Constable Hall from 23 May until 2 July 2023”
Spring 2023
About the Yorkshire Artist Maggie Taylor
Overview
My work considers the changing landscape. It focusses on themes about human activity, how we interact with our environment and the visual impact of such interventions. I am inspired by specific locations, often “urbscapes”, where the urban environment intrudes into the natural. I search out beauty in the everyday and the overlooked, so that the mundane is seen in a different perspective and becomes worthwhile.
I explore river banks, locks, factories, bridges and boatyards where the hardware and architecture of industrial archaeology strongly features. I seek to tell a narrative which is held together through subject matter, materials and working methods. My work is underpinned by academic influences, feelings, emotion and memories, all working together in formats and media to portray my underlying ideas and theme.
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Techniques, Processes and Skills
Painting
I have developed a distinctive emotive painting style with a limited palette, along with my awareness of composition, depth and negative space to create atmosphere. The paintings are very tonal, with a raw edginess achieved by emphasising the materiality of the paint and bold use of tone. Feelings of mood and atmosphere are achieved by employing “earth tones” and an “unfinished look”. In this way the viewer focuses on interesting elements of the painting allowing the eye to wander and the imagination to take over. Memories, feelings, and thoughts about change and the passage of time may emerge.
Printmaking
I specialise in intaglio print making where the design is cut, scratched, or etched into the printing surface or plate print. However, I also make collagraphs and screen prints and often combine several techniques. I have explored working with many different materials including steel, aluminium, acrylic and zinc. Some of the materials link directly to the subject matter of the work.
Research
My academic research emphasises the richness of different approaches to the visual arts over time. One approach does not exclude another, and the way my work is conceived and delivered may draw selectively from the influences and thoughts discovered. I actively visit Galleries and Exhibitions across the country.
I discuss all these issues and illustrate my working methods and techniques more fully in my blog:
I was delighted to be awarded a distinction recently for my MA studies in Creative Practice at Hull College, specialising in Painting and Printmaking. Prior to that, I spent five years with the University of the Creative Arts (Drawing, Painting and History of Art) and two years at Hull School of Art and Design.
I am a Member of The Ropewalk, Barton upon Humber, an independent social enterprise supported by the Arts Council, England, and a Member of the Hull Print Collective, a not-for-profit group of local printmakers. I exhibit my work widely throughout the East Riding of Yorkshire, North Lincolnshire and further afield.
