Taylor McKimens

{{Short description|American artist (born 1976)}}

Taylor McKimens (born 1976){{Cite web|url=http://www.artnet.com/artists/taylor-mckimens/biography|title=Taylor McKimens Biography – Taylor McKimens on artnet|website=www.artnet.com|access-date=2017-05-31}} is an artist based in New York. His work is informed largely by his childhood in Winterhaven, California, and life in the small town on the Mexican border.{{Cite web|url=http://www.lespressesdureel.com/EN/ouvrage.php?id=1431&menu=|title=Taylor McKimens : This Kind of Livin' – Les presses du réel (book)|website=www.lespressesdureel.com|access-date=2017-05-31}}{{Cite news|url=http://www.galeriezurcher.com/spip.php?page=exhibition_details&id_article=611|title=Taylor McKIMENS|work=Zürcher|access-date=2017-05-31|language=fr-FR}}{{Cite news|url=http://slash-paris.com/en/evenements/taylor-mckimens|title=Taylor McKimens — When Things Get Back to Normal — Zürcher Gallery — Exhibition|work=Slash Paris|access-date=2017-05-31|language=en}}{{Cite web|url=http://hifructose.com/2015/04/07/studio-visit-behind-the-scenes-with-taylor-mckimens/|title=Studio Visit: Behind the Scenes with Taylor McKimens|date=2015-04-07|website=Hi-Fructose Magazine|access-date=2017-05-31}}

McKimens was born in Seattle, Washington. He received his BFA from Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, California in 1999. He "has been known for years as a painter of “American Life”, making large and narrative paintings that feature rural tableaux, economically marginalized people, overlooked and often beautiful details of the natural world and cultural debris."{{Cite news|url=https://www.juxtapoz.com/news/the-creative-lives-taylor-mckimens/|title=The Creative Lives: Taylor McKimens (plus new show at The Hole NYC)|access-date=2017-05-31|language=en}} "McKimens' style of line drawing reminds of printing techniques."{{Cite web|url=https://whitehotmagazine.com/articles/mckimens-stoic-youth-at-hole/3276|title=WM {{!}} whitehot magazine of contemporary art {{!}} Taylor McKimens: Stoic Youth at The Hole|website=whitehotmagazine.com|language=en|access-date=2017-05-31}} "Like many today, he learned to draw from comic books, video games, and illustrations on cereal boxes."{{Cite web|url=http://www.artnews.com/2004/09/01/whats-so-funny-about-contemporary-art/|title=What's So Funny About Contemporary Art?|last=Yablonsky|first=Linda|date=2004-09-01|website=ARTnews|language=en-US|access-date=2017-05-31}} His "textured abstractions draw from Southwestern influences and color palettes while the heads pull from McKimens’ pop culture roots and take on McKimens' signature comic book quality."{{Cite web|url=https://creators.vice.com/en_us/article/the-patterned-beauty-of-colossal-painted-heads|title=The Patterned Beauty of Colossal Painted Heads|website=Creators|language=en-us|access-date=2017-05-31}}

He has held solo exhibitions at the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art in Tokyo, Deitch Projects, Art Rock at Rockefeller Center and The Hole in New York, Studio Raffaelli in Trento, Dio Horia in Mykonos, Loyal Gallery in Stockholm, Galerie Zurcher in Paris and Annet Gelink in Amsterdam. His work was included in Panic Room: Selections from the Dakis Joannou Collection in Athens, New York Minute at MACRO Museum in Rome and The Garage Museum of Contemporary Art in Moscow, Greater New York at MoMA PS1 as well as numerous other exhibitions in museums and galleries internationally.{{Cite web|url=http://www.neromagazine.it/n/?p=17379|title=NERO MAGAZINE » Taylor McKimens – Bright Lyons|last=MAGAZINE|first=NERO|website=www.neromagazine.it|access-date=2017-05-31}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/08/t-magazine/art/mykonos-dio-horia-kaws.html|title=The Greek Island That's Becoming an Unexpected Art Destination|last=Seligson|first=Hannah|date=2016-07-08|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-05-31|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/05/nyregion/unknown-artists-find-a-public-stage.html|title=Unknown Artists Find a Public Stage|last=Collins|first=Glenn|date=2005-03-05|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-05-31|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.tokyoartbeat.com/tablog/entries.en/2007/01/interview_with_taylor_mckimens.html|title=Interview with Taylor McKimens|website=www.tokyoartbeat.com|language=en|access-date=2017-05-31}}{{Cite news|url=https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html|title=Art in Review; Taylor McKimens|last=Smith|first=Roberta|date=2006-10-06|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-05-31|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|url=http://arrestedmotion.com/2016/07/showing-taylor-mckimens-swapping-paint-dio-horia/?images=1|title=Showing: Taylor McKimens – "Swapping Paint" @ Dio Horia « Arrested Motion|website=ArrestedMotion|language=en-US|access-date=2017-05-31}}

"In 2015, McKimens was commissioned by the Republic of San Marino to paint a portrait of their founding patron, Saint Marinus"{{Cite news|url=http://artreport.com/artist-taylor-mckimens-embraces-ancient-traditions-in-latest-commission/|title=Artist Taylor McKimens Embraces Ancient Traditions in Latest Commission - Art Report|date=2016-08-11|work=Art Report|access-date=2017-05-31|language=en-US}}

He was commissioned by the National Audubon Society to paint a mural for the Audubon Mural Project in Harlem, New York.{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/11/nyregion/where-audubon-found-repose-sprayed-on-specimens-alight.html|title=Where Audubon Found Repose, Sprayed-On Specimens Alight|last=Chaban|first=Matt A. v|date=2014-11-10|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-05-31|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}

McKimens has curated exhibitions including "Stranger Town" at Dinter Fine Art, New York in 2005,{{Cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2005/03/05/nyregion/unknown-artists-find-a-public-stage.html|title=Unknown Artists Find a Public Stage|last=Collins|first=Glenn|date=2005-03-05|work=The New York Times|access-date=2017-05-31|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.dinterfineart.com/html/gallery_previous3.html|title=Dinter Fine Art|website=www.dinterfineart.com|access-date=2017-05-31}} and "HETA-UMA & Underground Summit Japan/USA" at On Sundays in the Watari Museum of Contemporary Art, Tokyo.{{Cite web|url=http://www.watarium.co.jp/exhibition/0610_boro_en.html|title=watari-um - exhibition - ボロボロ ドロドロ展|website=www.watarium.co.jp|access-date=2017-05-31}}