By: Courtney Robinson
Taylor Gray is a senior at Valdosta State University, and she is double majoring with a B.A. in Art and a B.F.A. in Art Education. Gray is from Valdosta, Georgia and she first became interested in art when she was in first or second grade. She was always drawing and desired to become better at it, and this continued through elementary and middle school. Gray’s work often displays physical symbols from her childhood, as well as her femininity.
Gray grew up living with her grandmother on their family-owned street, so she was always surrounded by her family. Being surrounded by family is one of the important elements to her art and it can be seen in her series Verrilli St. Two paintings from the series Verrilli St. are Worthy’s Barn and Grandma’s House and both of these paintings are colorful and have a blocky feel to them, like each patch of color was a deliberate brushstroke added to the canvas. From the title of the painting, Grandma’s House, one could get the sentimental feeling from the childhood memories of the house that she grew up in living with her grandmother. Worthy’s Barn represents the time she spent taking care of the horses with her grandma. Gray states that while she did not ride the horses, she would help feed them, brush them, and clean the pasture. The artist’s intention of the way this series was painted can be clearly seen by the block like brushstrokes on the canvas and it gives the viewer childhood like vibes of the paintings that one would do as a child.
When she first started college she did not know how to incorporate all the different ideas that she wanted to express through her work. Since being in college Gray’s artist style has become more defined. Gray stated that she has also become more practiced and knowledgeable in certain mediums such as printmaking and oil painting. She also states since she started teaching art, it has challenged her to experiment with different media and ways of creating. Gray also says she feels a lot more professional about the art that she makes now compared to when she first started.
Cozy Day is a screen print of the inside of Gray’s room at her grandma’s house, and it looks like an illustration from a children’s book. Cozy Day can be seen as a relaxing day with a comfy bed, favorite blanket, and a beloved pet, and the plants placed around the room also gives it a calm feeling. The use of bright colors could suggest happy times or memories that the artist is conveying. Her identity with femininity comes into play with this piece with the use of colors. Even though the wall and the furniture are a different color, the artist chose to use these more feminine colors in this print to show that her room is a symbol of herself, of her girlhood.
Taylor Gray has a story to tell with her artwork from the nostalgia of childhood memories to her identity with femininity. After Gray completes her student teaching in the Fall of 2022, she will be graduating from Valdosta State University with a B.A. Degree in Art and a B.F.A. Degree in Art Education.
Courtney Robinson: Valdosta State University student majoring in Art Education.