Taylor Absher
Process is an integral part of Taylor Absher's work. It is key in the development of his images. Sometimes using up to 12 layers of handmade Japanese paper, Absher cuts each piece individually, making thin multi-passes through each with a laser. In the 2 to 4 hours that it takes to expose each layer, he calculates his next move through a process of meditation, inspired by what colors each one reveals. In fact, his images end up taking on a meditative quality themselves- each piece exuding an abstract sense of tranquility, represented by a cosmic form. Although the work seems to recall the eastern concept of mandalas, it is not meant to be any type of western translation of eastern spirituality or belief system. Instead, it is a queer abstraction, imagined through images of openings. The work is not supposed to be labeled in any specific sense, but Absher does not mind if it is taken as queer. Indeed, his color palette is somewhat feminine in the way that it comforts and brings a sense of peace to the viewer. It begins in the digital stage as a hard edge black and white form, but the end result has an analogue quality. It is the tonal range of the work, and the relationship between warm and cool colors that really builds the image, as opposed to the specific geometric form.