rt has always been my way of knowing. It has defined much of my early childhood, growing up with sculptors, painters, etchers, poets and musicians. My earliest memories are of paintings, the smell of turpentine and the mess and clutter of studios. I always felt more comfortable drawing and it was the only medium in which I could communicate earnestly and without censorship.
I entered the world of design and digital media when I first tried to make a portfolio site for my ink drawings, which at the time were quick portraits, hurriedly created like one would piece together a sentence. Such a seemingly simple step actually required a vast skill set. From scanning, photo retouching, image optimizing to HTML, javascript and ftp, the process required knowhow, resources and patience. When it was all over the experience made my ink work seem simple, rushed and unfinished. I had awoken to a new medium that in a way seemed to embrace and reflect all of the mediums I had grown up with. With web design I could mesh together music, animations, drawings. The creative process shared similarities with copper plate etchings and sculpture, where elements needed to be created in layers, each one supporting the next element until finally a complex, multifasceted product remained.
Web design and later print design became a fulfilling and rewarding medium to work in. Aside from the intense impact the web and graphic design has had on our society, the exposure is immense. My audience has grown across international, social, and political boundaries. As tools, design and interactive technologies have become the most important form of communication for me. They have allowed me to gain a larger audience for my personal artistic projects that range from comic strips to fine art and animation while also allowing me to be involved with artists, activists and institutions around the world helping them to present their works ideas, and research.
In terms of content, my current work is a social critique that reflects the quirky side of life in contemporary culture. My ink portraits, digital murals, graphic novels and comic strips try to capture the paradoxical ‘deep’ truth of our seemingly ‘superficial’ culture saturated by ads, images, special offers, and other forms of intense visuality.
-Alexei Taylor
Mixed Media: Ink, Watercolor, Photoshop
Biding the Time: Ink on Paper Collection (2008-2009)
Vector: Illustrator, Flash
Graphic Novel: Introduction to a Work in Progress
Ameriquarium: 2004 Solo Gallery Exhibition Featuring Large-Scale Archival Ink-jet Prints
