London Exhibition (2006)

One man show at Waterhouse and Dodd, 26 Cork Street London, 22nd November-22nd December, 2006.

In the forward to the catalogue for the exhibition the gallery wrote:-

Michael Taylor was one of the first artists with whom we made contact when we began our contemporary program; indeed he was present at our first contemporary private view. Despite this, it has taken over two years to put together this exhibition. Michael only produces around four paintings a year, and so to commit to a solo exhibition was a major undertaking for him. Renowned for his commissions for the National Portrait Gallery, his time is divided between portraits and his own private paintings, although notable portrait commissions have been delayed while Michael has prepared for this exhibition. We have been excited to see new paintings slowly appear from Michael’s attic studio, each one conceived with the same meticulous attention to detail yet each individual in content and meaning.

Michael’s last exhibition was almost a decade ago, so it is a rare privilege to stage this show of new work. A past article in Art Review talks of “Teasing ambiguities (which) make Michael Taylor’s beautifully composed figure paintings continually fascinating. They are pictures that need a lot of looking at. These paintings reveal themselves over time, although the technique is immediately startling. Our thanks go to the private collectors of Michael’s work who have loaned two of the exhibits to our exhibition (Couple with lamp and Woman with jug). These important paintings are pertinent to the main body of the exhibition and add enormously to the viewers’ understanding of Michael’s oeuvre.

We look forward to welcoming you and showing you the paintings, but suggest you might make a second visit to appreciate fully the complexity and beauty of the work on show.

Jamie Anderson and Jemimah Campbell
Waterhouse & Dodd Contemporary Art

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