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Jo Taylor is an artist whose work primarily revolves around language and the ideas it conveys. In her text pieces she uses language in its spoken and written forms such as gossip, orders and definitions. In focusing on these forms, she highlights and reveals their rhythms, subtleties and significance. In the process she questions their meaning and social context. The resulting work is a celebration of the ritual patterns and complexity of the language we use in everyday life. Through her approach and skilful use of materials she transforms her subject matter into something that is beautiful, new and surprising. She predominately uses slide projections, found texts and fabrics, embroidery and painting to make her work. She also works with other artists, designers and architects on collaborative projects. In her Last Lines series (2007-), Jo Taylor embroiders the final sentences of novels in cross-stitch on paper. In this work she explores the nature of last words and how the novelist says goodbye. Now that these final words stand alone we can focus on them and their meaning, both in relation to the novel they are quoted from and in their own right. The social ritual of gossip and the styles of speech used for it are the subject of another ongoing series of work, Gossip (2004-). Through embroideries on paper and vintage fabric she transforms the throwaway phrases of idle chat into works that demand lasting attention. |