Artist's Statement

My passion is for the human body and for capturing the intangible sense of life, mood and energy that solid flesh conveys. I am intrigued by the subtleties of emotion and individuality expressed by our body language and our ability to read and respond to it. I am particularly fascinated by the process of manipulating materials to create 'made' bodies and our instinct to relate to these in the same way.

I have explored this interactive quality from different standpoints - through automata where the viewer's action supplies the energy of the figure's movement, through portraiture in clay/bronze where we perceive not only mood but also personality, and most recently through wire mesh.

The illusory nature of wire mesh makes it the perfect medium to express the duality of our bodies - intangible self as physical form.

Background and CV

I have been a driven maker since childhood, and succumbed to sculpture full time in 1999, after fulfilling careers in advertising and design, combined with family life. I did my foundation at Reigate School of Art, followed by a BA (Hons) at Wimbledon, graduating in 2003.

I studied under Allan Sly, one of the country's foremost figurative sculptors, specialising in life sculpture, working from the nude - male and female. I learned the classical aesthetic and technical skills as summarised by Edouard Lanteri, mentor and intimate friend of Rodin, in contemporary form.

I combined this with study of mechanical and kinetic art pursuing themes of energy and movement, human and elemental, and the relationship between them. Both lines of study continue to underpin my work.

CURRICULUM VITAE
Nikki Taylor BA (Hons), Sculptor

Dorking, Surrey

Tel: 01306 882 685

e-mail:
website:
contact@nikkitaylorsculpture.co.uk
www.nikkitaylorsculpture.co.uk
Education

2000-2003 BA (Hons) Wimbledon School of Art, studying under Allan Sly
1999-2000 Reigate School of Art, Surrey
1971-1975 BA General Arts, University of Manchester (Soc. Sciences & French)
1964-1971 Westcliff High School for Girls, Essex

Selected Commissions

2011 Lifesize mesh sculpture of Olympic Sprinter Jason Gardener MBE
2010
Lifesize mesh sculpture of Olympic diver Tom Daley
2010
'Open Hands' sculpture for Chelsea Flower Show competition garden entry
2009
Full figure lifesize mesh sculpture for Thomas Hoblyn Garden Design for competition garden in Chelsea Flower Show.
2008 Lifesize male body portrait in steel mesh.
2007
Lifesize bronze grandfather and grandson full figure portraits.
2007 Lifesize metal mesh torso portrait of pregnant woman
2005 Portrait head of Sibelius in bronze

Selected Exhibitions

2010 Affordable Art Fair Battersea and Bristol, together with Chelsea, Cambridge and Edinburgh Art Fairs
2010
Chelsea Flower Show, commissioned sculpture on 'The Waterless Water Garden' by Tomoko Osonoe and Kei Iwata
2010
Art, Design and a Taste of Summer, Blenheim Palace, Oxon
2010
Surrey Open Studios
2010
Maundy Todd Summer and Winter exhibitions
2010
Esemplastic charity exhibition, Itchenor
2009
Affordable Art Fair Battersea and Bristol, and Chelsea, Cambridge and Edinburgh Art Fairs
2009 Courtyard Sculpture Exhibition, Leonardslee Gardens, Horsham
2009 Society of Women Artists, The Mall Galleries, London
2009 Chelsea Flower Show, Thomas Hoblyn’s competition garden
2009 Maundy Todd sculpture garden
2009 Surrey Open Studios
2009 Art in Action, Waterperry, Oxon
2009 Heavy Metal, Fragile Soul exhibition, Derbyshire
2008 Affordable Art Fair Battersea, and Chelsea, Cambridge, Bristol and Edinburgh Art Fairs.
2008
Sculpture trails with Surrey Sculpture Society at Borde Hill, RHS Garden Wisley and Vivartis.
2008 Fircroft Summer Exhibition, Albury, Surrey
2008
Artspace, Barn Galleries, Henley-on-Thames
2007
The Islington Contemporary Art & Design Fair
2007 The Savil Garden, The Crown Estate, Egham
2007 Loseley Park, Guildford
2007 RHS Garden, Wisley
2007 The Affordable Art Fair, London
2006 Studio 95, London
2006 Vivartis Arts Festival, nr Godalming
2006 Borde Hill Garden, Haywards Heath
2006 The Art House, Westbourne
2006 RHS Garden, Wisley
2006 Denbies Wine Estate, Dorking
2005 The Harvey Gallery, Guildford
2005 Polesden Lacey, Leatherhead
2004 The Savil Garden, The Crown Estate, Egham
2004 Painshill Park, Cobham
2004 Musee des Automates, Paris
2003 A Cabaret Mechanical Christmas, the gallery @ oxo, London

Additional Experience

2005-2007 Annual participation in Surrey Open Studio scheme
2005 Private head sculpting course at my studio
2006-2007 Sculpture tutor part-time, Bletchingley Centre, East Surrey College
2005-2007 Committee member of Surrey Sculpture Soc, now member only
1975-1999 10 year career in advertising followed by family life and self employment in interior design.

Media

2011 (First issue of New Italian culture magazine) April issue, p 30, photo of FREE 2.
2011
BBC1 'Waking the Dead', 20 March, series 9, 'Care' Part 1, inclusion of FLIGHT in set.
2010
Chelsea Flower Show programme, photo of THE GUARDIAN from previous year.
May 2010, Channel 4, The Landscape Man, 3rd episode, ‘Chevington’ my sculpture shown at Chelsea Flower Show then re-positioned in the final garden.
May 2009
, BBC2 Chelsea Flower Show. Inclusion of my ‘Guardian’ sculpture in Thomas Hoblyn’s competition garden.
Dec 29 2003 Radio 4, Woman’s Hour. Interview as part of Cabaret Mechanical Festival feature.

 


Working On Mesh


Finalising David in Clay


Working at the Foundry


Breaking up Rupert after casting