Michael Taylor, Showers

Michael Taylor: Showers

The Artist

Michael Taylor is one of Australia's leading post-modern and contemporary artists who has been exhibiting his works since 1963 (and 1972 in Canberra). He is a master of paint: his control of the medium and his fastidious layering convey a sense of effortlessness, belying the skill involved. His creative process is intrinsically linked with his individual experience and every painting springs from his environment; inspiration gained during one of his long walks with his wife, Rominie, on drives down long country highways or on the many trips back to the sea at the south coast. His ability to convey so effectively the heat, the tinder-dry grasslands, the reddish earth trapped by the intense blue sky of the Monaro plains, the multifarious moods of the sea, or the inherently Australian coastal scrub and mangrove swamps only comes with years of detailed attention to and complete absorption in his surroundings. To this extent, Michael Taylor's works are often described as landscapes as self portraits.

Born in 1933, Michael Taylor grew up by the Lane Cove River close to where it flows into Sydney Harbour and where Michael formed a close connection with the water, so evident in his paintings.  Taylor became one of the first post-World War II generation of artists that became a driving force behind new forms of abstraction in Australia. A contemporary of John Olsen, Taylor was likewise inspired by the works of Ian Fairweather who exhibited in the Macquarie Galleries in Sydney and was noted for the same broad brush-strokes. In 1953, Taylor was awarded a diploma at the East Sydney Technical College where he was taught by Ralph Balson and Godfrey Miller.  Since then, Michael Taylor has exhibited prolifically. His works are represented in most major art galleries in Australia.

The Work of Art

Standing before the work of art, one can imagine being part of the landscape itself. Taylor spent long periods of time walking, studying and sketching natural features before entering his studio and conveying his impressions in such dynamic ways. The work of art, 'Showers' is a classic example of Taylor's broad brush-strokes conveying movement of water hitting the road as in a heavy downpour.

This work of art was acquired by the University of Canberra in 2011.

Other works of art.

In addition to 'Showers' The University of Canberra also has within its collection, 'Thicket', which conveys the impression of thick vegetation by the roadside near the coast.