ART
Interview by Edwina Baines edwina@theblackmorevale.co.uk
In the studio with Michael Taylor image: Edwina Baines
“Everything is beautiful if you look at it in the right way” World-famous artist Michael Taylor is putting on his first gallery show outside London for 30 years. The Child Okeford show is a ’must-see’ event, says Edwina Baines, who spoke to Michael about his work Around forty years ago I bought a small still life painting by Michael Taylor of a bunch of grapes (see image below). I have always admired the talent demonstrated in that oil study, especially the bloom on the grapes - a dark background with
Around forty years ago Edwina Baines bought this small still life painting by Michael Taylor.
26
the blue-violet bunch occupying a central position. At that time, in 1983, Michael won the National Portrait Gallery John Player Award. This placed him firmly on the map of prestigious portrait painters and led to a commission from the National Portrait Gallery to paint the classical guitarist Julian Bream. Subsequent commissions followed and the National Portrait Gallery now also owns his portraits of the crime writer P D James (Baroness James of Holland Park), and the composer, Sir John Tavener, along with a self portrait. For his Oscar winning film, ‘The Grand Budapest Hotel’, the film director Wes Anderson also commissioned him to paint ‘Boy with Apple’; the sittings taking place at Hanford School, the
Jacobean manor house in Dorset. However, during our conversation at his lovely home near Dorchester, Michael told me he prefers not to be described as a portrait artist: ‘I don’t do so many portrait commissions now.’ Attic Stories In Dorset, there will now be the rare opportunity to view his first Gallery show outside central London for over 30 years: ’Attic Stories’ is to be held at The Art Stable, Child Okeford, Dorset from 5 February - 5 March 2022. The ten stunning works on display are still life and figure paintings - and I was curious to understand the nuances between a portrait and a figure painting. Michael explained ‘They each require a very different approach
