Spur c. 1940

Robert W.R. Taylor’s ‘Spur’ is painted with watercolor on paper. The color palette here is so subdued, almost hushed, which gives the work this feeling of something remembered. The brown leathers, creams, and silvery details are like whispers of a life lived. I think that the artist has a deep understanding of color mixing and layering. You can see it particularly in the leathery part: the surface is built up from lots of thin glazes of slightly different shades of brown, creating a subtle sense of depth and texture. Look at how Taylor renders that single point of the spur. It’s sharp and slightly menacing, but the way it's painted, it feels almost delicate. It makes me think of folk art. Like Joseph Yoakum's landscapes, Taylor’s rendering of the object offers a particular way of seeing. These artists are connected by how their art embraces ambiguity, opening up a space of imagination.