Taylor McKimens
Born in Seattle, Washington, 1976. Lives and works in Brooklyn.

A television sits, turned on, upon a shelf. To one side of the set is a sandwich, behind it a wilting flower in a drinking glass: to the other, a pile of pocketchange. At first glance, this paper sculpture - Television (2004) - suggests a mundane reality, a possible post-work scenario in the "average" American home. The image on the television, however, subverts this reading: a naked figure is visible, leaning against a file cabinet in a broom closet. The figure appears to be male, and a towel obscures his face. White foam drips from the towel and is splattered throughout the room. McKimens' public display of a seemingly private moment creates discomfort, turning innocent viewer into voyeur.
The viewer never mistakes the sculpture for the actual object that it represents - though the artwork is three dimensional, the piece has no material presence. It remains a representation of a television and a situation. Each surface of Television is inscribed (with either an image or graphics) and then joined to the rest. These seams create outlines around each element, which accentuate the two-dimensional graphics on the surface, exemplified best by the antenna, electrical cord, and socket.
The cartoonlike quality of McKimens' work allows the artist to explore complex human emotions with a certain level of remove - that afforded to comics and animation. His work engages but does not antagonize the viewer, even as it presents a biting commentary on contemporary life.

-Irene Shum