Stephen Taylor studied Fine Art at Leeds University with T.J. Clark and was taught painting by Paul Gopal Choudhury; after which he worked on perception and technique in John Constable as a post graduate at Essex University and visiting student at Yale. He became interested in cognitive studies at this time.
Over the 80’s, after a sucessful residency at Felsted School in Essex, Stephen turned from art history to painting. He supported himself and developed his skill by working to commission with a wide range of clients and subjects. He also lectured part time in art history and theory, becoming for a while head of painting at The Open College of The Arts, founded by Michael Young.
In addition to many group exhibitions Stephen held early one man shows at Essex University in 1986 and The Oakwood Gallery at Maldon in 1988.
Between 2000 and 2007, with the exception of a break to paint an altarpiece, The Hospitality of Abraham, for The Church of The Most Holy Trinity, Reading, he worked exclusively on observed contemporary landscape, largely in a single field in North Essex.
He is currently working on paintings about seeing water, and developing a method of colour-texture analysis as a tool for helping to see and paint nature afresh. He's also interested in the relationship between nature writing and 'new nature painting'. |