An exhibition of work by the equestrian artist, Jo Taylor, has gone on display at the Victoria Gallery & Museum.
The exhibition, `Warhorse’, features a selection of Jo Taylor’s bold paintings, detailed sketches and prints in a variety of media. The works animate the anatomy of horses and other animals, emphasising their dynamic movement.
Jo Taylor strives to capture the sense of the power and presence of her subject. Her works range in size from tiny working drawings to pieces of monumental scale and she uses different materials, shapes and surfaces to capture not just the form and structure of the animal, but also that of its environment. Jo wants her paintings to recreate the feel the heat, smell the sweat and taste the dust.
Jo is inspired by the eighteenth century Liverpool artist George Stubbs, one of Britain’s great animal painters. She has travelled the world to study the anatomy of horses including the Spanish Corrrida and the plains of Pattagonia. Her eight years as Artist in Residence at the University of Liverpool’s Leahurst campus, observing operations and sometimes post-mortems, contributed to her knowledge and consideration of the equine form.
Matthew Clough, Director of the Victoria Gallery and Museum, said, “This exhibition is an exciting opportunity to enjoy Jo’s detailed observations of the anatomy of horses which reveal their raw power as well as their innocence brought about by their freedom. Jo has made a very significant contribution to equestrian art in the UK and we are delighted to be hosting this exhibition.”
Jo Taylor said: “It is fantastic to be able to show my work in Liverpool and to work in a non commercial context. I have greatly enjoyed time spent in the School of Veterinary Science at the University: the opportunity in particular to see equine operations at first hand has been amazing.”
The exhibition, `Warhorse’, by Jo Taylor is open to the public until Saturday, 12 May 2012. Admission to all galleries and exhibitions is free and the building is open Tuesday – Saturday, 10am – 5pm.
A programme of events will accompany this exhibition including a family workshop on Saturday, 25 February, drop-in between 1- 4pm, where participants will create horse puppets using an array of colourful materials.