Viewing Henry Taylor at Hauser & Wirth Somerset

The American artist Henry Taylor is best known for his sumptuous portraits that interrogate the human condition. ‘I respect these people,’ he’s said of his subjects, encompassing family members, peers and acquaintances. ‘It’s a two-dimensional surface, but they are really three-dimensional beings.’ It’s intriguing then to see sculpture play such a vital role in his inaugural exhibition with Hauser & Wirth.

Taylor’s embrace of standalone sculpture over the past decade has allowed him to reconfigure everyday objects into his own cultural narrative. On display you’ll see familiar motifs such as painted black milk bottles and horse figurines as well as a new series of tabletop sculptures centred on urban planning. Then there’s his first outdoor bronze sculpture, inspired by a conversation he had with his older brother Randy, a founding member of the Ventura County chapter of the Black Panther Party, in the 1980s. Other notable highlights include two new self-portraits created in lockdown.

Taylor’s visual language is shaped by a process of ‘hunting and gathering’, as he puts it. His work draws on many influences, from archival and immediate imagery — notably newspaper clippings and historical photographs — to memory, personal experience and his art historical predecessors.

Born in 1958, the youngest of eight children, Taylor has been the subject of major group exhibitions around the world. In 2017 his work was included in the Whitney Biennial and in 2019 in the 58th Venice Biennale. He counts Francois Pinault and the Rubells among his A-list collectors. Last winter, he was Hauser & Wirth’s artist in residence. Taylor’s profile is on the rise so don’t miss this opportunity to see him in the round. Remember to book a timed ticket — and a table for lunch too!