Date: December 19, 2016 | Story: Katie Cox | Photography: Rett Peek |
For more than 26 years, this award-winning ceramic artist and Little Rock native has created one-of-a-kind geometric sculptures influenced by his unique background in the auto industry
How did you first get into sculpting? I always had an interest in art, but I didn’t take any classes at all in public school. I had no training other than just raw talent. I thought I was going to be a racecar driver or a mechanic, which is something I had been doing for a long time. When I got out of the military, suddenly I decided I wanted to go to college and major in art. It came out of the blue! I took my first pottery class in college, well over 40 years ago, and I graduated with a degree in art. I was totally in love with it from the beginning, and I haven’t stopped.
Has your automotive background influenced your work? Without a doubt. I think my pieces have a mechanical feel about them. Some of it is deliberate, and some of it is my natural tendency and affinity for certain shapes and things that I’m familiar with.
Along with your geometric style, what are some signature looks or techniques you use to create your pieces? A lot of my firing is done in raku, which in Japanese means “enjoyment.” It’s a fast firing technique that is very hands-on with a quick turnaround. That’s one of my favorite aspects of it, and I enjoy being involved in the firing from beginning to end. I also get a lot of influence from Native American style pottery. One of my favorite pieces has a highly polished surface that I varnished with a stone. This technique is a very meditative process that I love to use.
Where can we find your pieces? Along with Boswell-Mourot Fine Art in Little Rock, you can also find my pieces at Gallery Central Fine Art in Hot Springs and in my hometown of Russellville at Gallery 307.
Winston Taylor, Russellville, (479) 747-8622, winstontaylor.com. Photographed on location at Boswell-Mourot Fine Art.
