Parchment Book Cover 1935 - 1942

This watercolor on paper, made by Robert W.R. Taylor, has a very specific and unusual graphic sensibility. You can see how the parchment book cover has been methodically constructed, perhaps over several days. I’m immediately drawn to the color and line. Look at how the artist has built up these graphic forms, these architectural shapes, with what looks like a pale, washy paint, but the overall effect is quite bold, it's as if they've emerged through a series of delicate, intuitive gestures. I love how the artist included a little animal form! What did they think of when they made this? Taylor’s way of seeing is totally unique and stands apart from everything else. I think the best artists find ways to make marks that only they can make. I like that this piece embraces ambiguity and uncertainty; there are no definitive answers. It makes you consider the possibilities of the artist's intention, and I wonder what they were reaching for, how they were experiencing their world.