Susan Aaron-Taylor

Susan Aaron-Taylor is an American artist who creates mixed-media sculptures.[2] For forty years she was a professor at the Crafts Department of the College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan. Her work is abstract and surreal that stems from alchemy, focusing on story-telling with dream-like qualities.

Susan Aaron-Taylor
Born
Susan Aaron

1947
Brooklyn, New York
NationalityAmerican
EducationMaster of Fine Arts, Cranbrook Academy of Art
Alma materWayne State University
Known forHer art works which are deeply rooted in traditions of alchemy/creative fantasy.
Notable work
Soul Shard #30, 2006[1]
Websitewww.susanaarontaylor.com

Biography

Susan Aaron-Taylor was born 1947 in Brooklyn, New York.[3] Susan lives and creates art works in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan.[3]

Career

Aaron-Taylor earned a Bachelor of Science at Wayne State University and a Master of Fine Arts at Cranbrook Academy of Art.[4] She served as the Section Chairperson of the Fiber Design Department.[5] and Professor of the Crafts Department at the College for Creative Studies for over 40 years[6] in Detroit, Michigan.[4] When she retired, Aaron-Taylor was granted emeritus status.[7]

Aaron-Taylor is known for her artworks that draw inspiration from her knowledge of alchemy, story-telling, chemistry, Jungian psychology, philosophy, archetypes, and the Collective Unconscious.[1] She has exhibited for over thirty years[6] and her work has been included in permanent as well as private collections.

Style and technique
"Crystal Woman" sculpture by Susan Aaron-Taylor, American contemporary artist Composition: wood, handmade felt, jasper, crystal, bone and coral. Height ~ 10".

Aaron-Taylor has created a body of artwork that consists of modest-sized sculptural objects which depict fantasy-like figures recalled from her dreams, including dogs, cats and other small creatures. The distortions from the anatomical correctness of the objects results from a practice of using tree roots, affixing felt in multiple colors for the basis of the core figure's form. She hand-processes her own felt. which she uses emulate an animal's pelt. She incorporates other natural and man-made materials, such as gemstones, pieces of metal, teeth and bone.[2][8][9] She uses meditation and Jungian imagery as a source for inspirations.[2][9]

One of Aaron-Taylor's most prominent work was in the Dreamscapes and Soul Shards series which focuses on the psychology of marriage, dreams, and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. The Soul Shards series focuses on the retrieval of these broken pieces of soul.[10]

My dreams have been sourcing my creative life for over three decades. I continue to delight in discovering their essence, distilling and then sharing that one magical moment. My goal is to create clear, psychologically charged vignettes... I play with the symbols in my dreams as I embrace and tease out images from my unconscious that inspire and bring forth poignancy, humor and meaning.[11]

Before creating a series and gathering her materials, Aaron-Taylor will research her pieces to build upon her ideas to enhance the story-telling process. She believes that the process of making a piece is journey and as a long-time student of the Jungian psychology, most of her work comes from dreams that are a direct response from her interest in The Tarot, shamanism, ritual, alchemy, archetypes, and the collective unconscious.[12] She brings forth parts from her dreams that bring poignancy, humor, and meaning. [13]

Significant works

Each series stems from an important aspect of Aaron-Taylor's life whether it was from childhood or dreams, they deal with fascination and narrative story-telling.

Shows and collection
  • Selected one-person exhibitions[16][18][19][20]
  • Soul Shard #30, 2006; Wayne State University Art Permanent Collection, Detroit, MI[1]
  • Deity VIII, 1990; Cranbrook Art Museum Permanent Collection No. CAM 1992.17, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI.
  • Renaissance Center, Commissioned Wall Relief - Westin Hotels,Detroit, MI[4][18]
  • K-Mart Corporation, Permanent Collection, Troy, MI[4][18]
  • Westin Hotels, Commissioned Wall Relief, Renaissance[21]

Bibliography
  • Dennis Alan Nawrocki; Steve Panton; Matthew Piper. "Essay'd 3: 30 Detroit artists". Wayne State University Press (2018). ISBN 9780814345870.[22]
  • Green, Roger. "Personal Paths In her mixed-media sculptures, Susan Aaron-Taylor re-creates the landscape of her dreams, informed by Carl Jung's spiritually charged concepts." American Craft Council 70, no. 6 (2010):30. ISSN 0194-8008.[23]
  • “Cover.” Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche, vol. 4, no. 2, 2010, pp. C1–C4. JSTOR.
  • Carl Kamulski; Sisson Gallery. "2010 Motor City Revue: 38 Detroit artists". Henry Ford Community College (2010). OCLC no.: 608538323.[24]

References
  1. Lane Borden, Emily. "University Art Collection". Wayne State University. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  2. Green, Roger (December 6, 2010). "Deeply Felt Creations". American Craft Council. pp. 30–31. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  3. Apel, Dora (5 September 2017). "77 Susan Aaron-Taylor". Essay'd. Retrieved 9 July 2019..
  4. Atkinson, Scott (March 19, 2012). "Detroit Area Artist Susan Aaron-Taylor featured at Mott Community College Fine Arts Gallery". MLIVE Michigan. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  5. Wallace, San Dee (April 6, 2006). "Krasl Art Center presents 3 very different artists' works". The Herald-Palladium. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  6. "Strata". University of Michigan - NCRC. 5 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  7. Perron, Michelle. "Susan Aaron-Taylor - Professor Emerita CCS". College for Creative Studies. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  8. McNichols, Mary (August 2009). "A Conversation with Susan Aaron-Taylor". Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche. 4 (2): 110–122. doi:10.1525/jung.2010.4.2.110. JSTOR 10.1525/jung.2010.4.2.110.
  9. DeVito, Lee (June 10, 2015). "Susan Aaron-Taylor exhibits as one of three solo shows at N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art". Detroit Metro Times. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  10. "Interview with Artist and Teacher: Susan Aaron-Taylor: from Psyche's Journey". psychesjourney.org. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  11. "Susan Aaron-Taylor - Dream Games". River Gallery. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  12. "Interview with Artist and Teacher: Susan Aaron-Taylor: from Psyche's Journey". psychesjourney.org. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  13. "Susan Aaron-Taylor". River Gallery. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  14. "A Detail From A 'Deity'". Detroit Free Press. www.newspapers.com. February 27, 1992. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  15. "Dream Games Series". College for Creative Studies. 16 July 2013. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  16. Chessler, Suzanne (September 9, 2016). "A Tenuous Threshold: The work of Susan Aaron-Taylor, on view at the BBAC". The Jewish News. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  17. "Collections". Susan Aaron-Taylor. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  18. "Susan Aaron-Taylor - Bio". River Gallery. 2014. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  19. Mico, Marsha (28 April 1995). "Susan Aaron Taylor, Fantasy and mythology mix". Detroit Free Press. Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  20. Ketts, K.A. (23 October 2017). "Susan Aaron Taylor at NCRC Galleries". Retrieved 15 July 2019.
  21. "Susan Aaron-Taylor". River Gallery. Retrieved 2020-10-15.
  22. Nawrocki, Dennis Alan; Panton, Steve; Piper, Matthew (2018). Essay'd 3: 30 Detroit Artists. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 9780814345870. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  23. Green, Roger (2010). Personal Paths In her mixed-media sculptures, Susan Aaron-Taylor re-creates the landscape of her dreams, informed by Carl Jung's spiritually charged concepts. 70. American Craft Council. p. 30. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  24. Kamulski, Carl; Sisson Gallery (2010). 2010 Motor City Revue: 38 Detroit artists. Henry Ford Community College. Retrieved 15 September 2019.

Further reading
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