Four decades of potter Elmer Taylor’s work on display at UNT
What: Regents Professor Elmer Taylor: A Retrospective “Welcome to My World, 1972 – 2012”
Where: UNT Art Gallery in the Art Building, one block west of Mulberry and Welch streets
An art exhibition presented in the University of North Texas College of Visual Arts and Design tradition to honor Regents professors
Cost: Free
Contact: Visit www.gallery.unt.edu or call 940-565-4316.
DENTON (UNT), Texas -- Pottery, prints, photos and even living room furniture will give a glimpse into the life and work of longtime University of North Texas Regents Professor and well-known potter Elmer Taylor in a retrospective exhibition Oct. 9 (Tuesday) through Nov. 10 (Saturday) at the UNT Art Gallery.
“Welcome to My World, 1972 – 2012,” will feature Taylor’s ceramic works created over the last 40 years, photographs of Taylor, works by former students and other artists who have influenced him, and 1940s-era handmade Japanese living room furniture from his home.
“This is the one and only time I’ve done a retrospective exhibition like this at UNT,” said Taylor, who joined the UNT art faculty in 1974. “It’s a peek into my life. My world is more than just a studio. I’m going to give visitors a glimpse of how I live.”
An opening reception will be held from 5 to 7 p.m. Oct. 11 (Thursday) and an artist’s reception from 5 to 9 p.m. Oct. 13 (Saturday) in the UNT Art Gallery in the Art Building, one block west of Mulberry and Welch streets. Admission is free.
“Taylor’s influences, from the neon in his hometown city of Los Angeles to his experience pheasant hunting in Nebraska and his love of writing with a fountain pen, are intimately reflected in his pots, revealing both his personality and experiences.” said Tracee Robertson, director of the UNT Art Galleries.
About Elmer Taylor
Taylor began his teaching career at Mercer University in Macon, Ga., in 1972, following his apprenticeship with Master Potter Michael Leach in England. He joined the faculty at UNT in 1974 and became a Regents Professor in 2003. Taylor designs his pottery “to satisfy the needs of kitchen and table,” continually refining a specifically finite set of forms for daily use. Taylor exhibits his work and conducts lectures and workshops nationally and internationally. His work has been featured in numerous publications and public collections, including the High Museum of Art, Atlanta; the American Heritage Collection at Arizona State University, Tempe; and the university collections at Utah State University, Idaho State University, and UNT, among others. Taylor earned his master of fine arts degree from Arizona State University. He maintains studios in Denton and Ketchum, Idaho.
About the UNT Ceramics Program
The UNT Ceramics Program began in earnest in 1950 with the arrival of Georgia Gough and under the leadership of Cora Stafford, chair of the art department from 1928 to 1964. Gough, a student at UNT in the 1940s and an internationally known craft artist, returned to Denton to build a robust program from a single hand-building clay course. By her retirement in 1975, the ceramics studio had grown to include new faculty member Elmer Taylor in 1974, followed by Jerry Austin in 1982.
UNT News Service Phone Number: (940) 565-2108
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