On Display February 1-28, 2019
Opening Reception February 7, 2019, 4:00-6:00pm
Criser Cancer Resource Center, 1515 SW Archer Road, Room 1302
Please join UF Health Shands Arts in Medicine in celebrating original works by Brett Taylor. Brett is a senior printmaking student at the University of Florida. He constructs portraits that integrate anatomy and architecture to discuss inclusive space as it impacts individuals with physical disabilities. His compositions are informed by his experience as a bone cancer patient.
Artist Statement
I construct portrait
s that integrate anatomy and architecture to discuss inclusive space as it impacts individuals with physical disabilities. The surrealist compositions are based on hallucinations I experienced as a patient battling bone cancer, located in my lower right leg. I employ the principles of construction and structural design to illustrate the patient experience. During this experience, I often hid my disability in an attempt to perform as an able-bodied individual. The work deconstructs the private and public event that one endures in rehabilitation. Using my experience as a previously disabled individual to create a platform for change, I design works that advocate for disabled individuals and accessible space.
The works are created through printmaking, drawing, and collage. The process-based practice focuses on materials that are used in construction such as metal, wood, and stone. The tactile focus of the work draws parallels between constructing a building and rebuilding the body. Similar to the surgical reconstruction of bones, each piece is constructed from collage material. The materials were carefully selected from literature that was published prior to the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990. The completed collages, which are inspired by architectural blueprints and anatomical illustrations, are then translated into works on paper. The blue monochromatic color scheme references the international symbol of access. The reinterpretation of these restrictive structural spaces into invented figural works reflects the impact that the constructed environment has on disabled individuals. The two-dimensional works promote the reclamation of traditionally developed spaces. And emphasize the symbiotic relationship between the inhabitant and built environment.