Art Exhibit reception for "Word," paintings by Richard Taylor. Exhibit runs June 4–July 10 in the Main Library's Children's Gallery.
Artist's Statement
This exhibit is a series of color field paintings that interrogate how meaning arises at the intersection of perception and language. Each work consists of a canvas painted in a dominant color—orange, blue, gray, pink—built up in expressive, layered strokes. Within the field, a single word is inscribed into the paint—marked, pressed, or removed from the surface itself.
In these works, the color becomes the signifier—the immediate sensory field presented to the viewer—while the word functions as the signified, introducing a concept that may align with, contradict, or destabilize the experience of color.
By inverting the traditional relationship between text and meaning, the paintings create a site of semiotic ambiguity. Meaning is not dictated, but discovered through tension and time. The inscribed words hover between presence and absence—often only visible at an angle or in raking light—forcing viewers to engage in an act of visual and cognitive reconciliation.
The series invites both children and adults to reencounter early language systems—color, opposites, and emotional tone—through ambiguity rather than clarity.
Artist's Bio
Richard Taylor is a visual artist drawing inspiration from color theory, language, and physical principles of form. His primary medium is oil and acrylic on canvas. He exhibits widely throughout Utah and has sold work internationally. Taylor holds degrees in physics and materials science.
His art reflects an analytical sensitivity, deep material curiosity, and a conceptual approach shaped by his scientific training. Exhibitions include solo and group shows at the Bountiful Davis Art Center, Springville Museum of Art, Meyer Gallery, and Salt Lake Community College, and others.
AGE GROUP: | All Ages |
EVENT TYPE: | Exhibits | Arts & Creativity |
NOTE: The Main Library's Rooftop Terrace is closed for renovations.
Salt Lake City's Main Library, designed by internationally-acclaimed architect Moshe Safdie in conjunction with VCBO Architecture, opened in February 2003 and remains one of the most architecturally unique structures in Utah. This striking 240,000 square-foot structure houses more than 500,000 books and other materials, yet serves as more than just a repository of books and computers. It reflects and engages the city's imagination and aspirations. The structure embraces a public plaza, with shops and services at ground level, reading galleries above, and a 300-seat auditorium.
A multi-level reading area along the Glass Lens at the southern facade of the building looks out onto the plaza with stunning views of the city and Wasatch Mountains beyond. Spiraling fireplaces on four floors resemble a column of flame from the vantage of 200 East and 400 South. The Urban Room between the Library and the Crescent Wall is a space for all seasons, generously endowed with daylight and open to magnificent views.
