making space
university of pittsburgh
studio arts senior exhibition
november 2020
Taylor Bowers
I see the world through color—hundreds of shades and hues coming together. As an oil painter, I strive to recreate normal, mundane events, and animate them through color. Taking inspiration from photography, my focus is on realism and reinterpreting the world around me. Throughout my life, I've experienced the highs, lows, and everything in between. Emotion is what connects us to others and nature and makes us human. There's a beauty in the deepest pain and the utmost joy that words too often fail to describe. My hope for any audience when experiencing my work is that they feel an emotion before they settle on meaning, that they see beauty in the mundane, and that any moment can be magical, serene, or awe-inspiring.
This piece is incredibly personal to me. I tend to keep areas of my life separate, much like I have with my faith and art. I've been a Christian for most of my life, and I believe that my faith is an essential aspect of who I am. This painting is a declaration of that--a way to use this gift of art I believe God's given me, and in turn, glorify Him with it. I decided to create a serene landscape to evoke a sense of peace. I see God's hand the most in sunsets, which is why it was crucial to include. I love the vibrant colors, and at times the way the wispy clouds arrange looks like brushstrokes. I like to think that His canvas is the Earth. My goal through this piece was to create a tangible representation of my relationship with the Lord. Sometimes it's hard to imagine or feel His presence, which is why I wanted to bring it into reality. The self-portrait showcases me dancing with Jesus. I chose to represent the relationship through dancing because the art of dance is an art of connection. The two must be in sync at all times for the beauty to unfold. It's continuous, and it's a practice. Although there are days where dancing is the last thing I want to do, whenever I return, He always invites me to dance again.
