Artist Profile: Lauren Taylor

Taylor received her B.F.A from The School of the Art Institute of Chicago in 2014. She recently had a solo exhibition Standing On My Knees at Andrew Rafacz Gallery, Chicago, IL. Additionally, her work has been included with exhibitions at Left Field Gallery, San Luis Obispo, CA; Bahamas Biennale, Detroit, MI; Paris, London, Hong Kong, Chicago, IL amongst others. Taylor is currently working on her upcoming solo exhibition with Gene’s Dispensary (Los Angeles, CA) for 2025. Her sculptures are displayed in the lobby of Bobby Nashville as part of the latest installment of The Collection: Yin-Yang.

Lauren Taylor’s work is an amalgamation of manipulated found imagery, clothing, and miscellaneous objects. Her sculptures hold ghost-like qualities, becoming abject props that stand-in for the objects’ original purpose. Using animated tropes of the female experience and a culled collection of tongue-in-cheek phrase and sentiments, Taylor’s infusion of humor into ordinary objects calls toward slights within the art world, a desire for control, and the bizarrities of the banal that may go otherwise unnoticed.

What was the moment you knew you had to pursue art professionally?
Probably my third year at SAIC. I had plans to enter the Art Education program because that seemed like the “responsible” choice. Choosing to be an artist is sort of a commitment to uncertainty, and I thought this decision would ultimately disappoint my family. After a lot of self-reflection and many conversations with friends, mentors, and other artists, I realized how much joy comes from making art. So, I’ve done my best to pursue that joy ever since.

Let’s dive into your creative process. What does a typical day in the studio look like?
If I’m low on supplies, I’ll go to the Goodwill bins or Turnip Green first thing in the morning. When I get back to the studio, I usually start with a writing exercise. Writing about how I’m feeling, goals for the day, questions, lil’ poems, notes, painting and sculpture ideas, song lyrics I heard on the radio, etc. A lot of these fragmented studio “footnotes” eventually transform into drawings or text pieces. I’m usually producing a lot of work and seeing which pieces stand out. This then leads to further research on that theme or material. In between making work, there is usually some sort of singing and dance break, or I go for a walk with my dog Toni.

Are there any common themes you explore in your artwork?
The body: its function(s) and the space it can occupy both literally and figuratively. Solitude and loneliness. The role of the bootleg in music, art, and in other contexts. The bizarrities of the banal. Comedy and tragedy.

Speaking of themes, how does your work in Bobby Nashville’s The Collection: Yin Yang explore its theme?
The work touches on serious and personal topics, but I try to approach these ideas with humor. I’m often searching for a sweet spot: the grey area found between black and white.

What’s your favorite place in Nashville, and how has it inspired you or your work?
One is Turnip Green Creative Reuse. I find a majority of my studio materials there, and in turn, donate materials I don’t end up using. It’s an amazing community resource that I’m so grateful for. Another spot is my garden. When I need a break from the studio, I often go there to disconnect and regulate. Recently I’ve found a couple peach pits while digging in the dirt and started incorporating them into my sculptures.

What’s your go-to Nashville restaurant spot?
I’m at Brown’s Diner a good bit, mostly because it’s right down the street from where I live. If I’m feelin’ fancy, I treat myself to Kisser, Henrietta Red, or Locust.

If you could have dinner with any three people, dead or alive, who would they be and why?
Agnès Varda, one of my favorite filmmakers and a pioneer of French New Wave cinema. Maggie Nelson, is an amazing writer whose book “Bluets” changed my life. And dreamy jazz harpist and composer Dorothy Ashby. Her 1968 album “Afro-Harping” is often on repeat.

Are there any local artists, musicians, or creators in Nashville whose work you particularly admire?
I’m really excited for Random Sample’s new space, which will be opening next year. All things creative and inspiring by Eve Maret. Yanira Vissepó’s growing garden of prints and paintings. The dance moves and vibrational shakes of Garage Collective . And I often have Tristen, Emily Nenni, and Westwood Avenue on rotation while working in the studio.

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
I’ve been thinking about this quote by Audre Lorde a lot lately: “Pain is important: how we evade it, how we succumb to it, how we deal with it, how we transcend it.” …And a classic, “stay hydrated.”

What's on the horizon for you? What can we look forward to next?
I have a solo show opening at Neue Welt on January 4, 2025. That same weekend I’ll also have work in a group exhibition at The Arcade Arts Nashville.