Ross Taylor (b. Northumberland, England, 1982) lives and works in the Macedon Ranges, a vast region of Central Victoria, Australia known for its wild terrains and expansive forests. Much of Taylor’s recent artistic practice is influenced by this epic landscape, one that wildly conflicts with his previous environment in the north of England, and is also a marked change to some of his earlier work. Taylor’s work plays with the ancient and the every day, the sacred and the banal, with extraordinary use of colour that captivates the viewer.

Taylor’s work plays with the ancient and the every day, the sacred and the banal, with extraordinary use of colour that captivates the viewer.

The artist is intrigued by memory and how one can recall or retell an experience, whether that be what we conjure up in our minds or that which he, as a painter, evokes for the viewer. Taylor states that he “tries to convey what I can see in front of me, but also what is behind me and what I cannot see”. There is vivid luminosity in each piece and the carefully considered colours present to the viewer work that is drenched in vibrancy, yet still visible are aspects of a somewhat dark and desolate scene left by bushfires that ripped through the region just over half a decade ago.

Taylor’s work seeks to respond to the complexity of an ever-changing landscape, and in particular, the way in which nature can evolve and regenerate itself after such events. These contrasting images coalesce on canvas to create original yet incredibly beautiful and visually stunning depictions of one’s surroundings.

1. How and when did you start painting?

I studied fine art and art history at the University of Newcastle Upon Tyne (UK) in the early 2000's and dabbled with everything at the beginning... Video, sculpture, performance. It wasn't until I went to the Akademie der bildenden künste in Munich on study exchange that I started to think more about how my ideas could be translated into painting. I had great access to a lot of northern romantic painting at Alte Pinakothek, particularly the Shack collection and my studio at the Akademie (a beautiful, old monastery) was previously Kandinsky's. At the time, a lot of the German artists were painting too, so I felt inspired to start when I returned to England. Of course my early works were less concerned about landscape in a traditional sense, but were still grounded in trying to create a particular or tension.

2. Describe your creative process. From what or who do you draw inspiration to create your work?

I don't have a fixed process for making work, I find using the same conventional steps to complete a painting incredibly dull. So in that sense I am not a 'painters' painter, nor do I have an ambition to be. I can start a work by laying the canvas on the floor and then applying wet coats of ground paint down and then adding bleach or a rag to interrupt the first layer. I will generally destroy and rebuild the surface until something reveals itself to me, a form or a particular colour. I might create an entire work without any preparatory sketches or photographs or I might start the painting, photograph it, then sketch or digitally manipulate how it may look. I draw inspiration from different terrains that I've seen when travelling or bushland that I see in Australia where I live. But I'm actually more interested in memory recollection, or more specifically how to describe an experience (particularly as memory fades.) The more abstract moments in my works are the most valuable for me.

I draw inspiration from different terrains that I've seen when travelling or bushland that I see in Australia where I live. But I'm actually more interested in memory recollection, or more specifically how to describe an experience (particularly as memory fades.) The more abstract moments in my works are the most valuable for me.

3. Why do you mainly paint landscapes? Do they represent any specific place?

I think landscape painting is merely an entry for me to get into painting. I keep returning to it not only because it is steeped in such a rich cultural tradition, but because the contemporary art world wants us to leave it alone. It is seen as old, the theatrical expression of it is cast aside in the face of a slicker, more clinical expression. I see landscape painting now more than ever being a deeply honest, human expression, it doesn't shy away from the 'big stuff', pathos, emotion... It moves unashamedly, without distraction, at its own pace. My works can represent a number of different places forged together, so in that they are a direct expression of experience rather than a fixed place. They speak in a broader sense to the culture of landscape painting and I often riff off older traditions as an expression of that.

I see landscape painting now more than ever being a deeply honest, human expression, it doesn't shy away from the 'big stuff', pathos, emotion...

4. You use vivid and contrasting colors in your work. Tell us about your color palette.

My colour choices are entirely intuitive, but I like to push colour relationships to the point of near failure... I think that building up that kind of dynamic in a painting offers a particular weight for the viewer. More recently the paintings have become somewhat darker, as I am becoming more interested in a kind of brooding aesthetic, as if the land is waiting for something to happen. I think that while colour theory is an essential tool to have when painting, it is important to allow your gut to decide on colour choice too, although that intuition isn't necessarily something for me that can be taught.

My colour choices are entirely intuitive, but I like to push colour relationships to the point of near failure... I think that building up that kind of dynamic in a painting offers a particular weight for the viewer

5. There is a huge evolution in your work, from your beginnings until now. Can you explain the reason behind this change?

From 2015 until 2019 I was known predominantly for works on paper, I actually presented my first major institution show in 2020 in Melbourne (AU) as a series of large scale drawings of landscapes and interiors. This felt to me like a natural conclusion to that work, I felt that I had explored and exhausted what I needed to with that medium, I wanted to focus on a more fluid expression and to be excited about my practice again. Even though I graduated in painting, I actually ended up taking a 15 year break from it, but I can't imagine stepping away from painting again, there are endless possibilities that continue to excite me.

6. And to conclude, you are going to participate in a group exhibition at VILLAZAN Madrid this spring. Could you tell us something about the works you are going to present?

For this show, I wanted to produce entirely psychological landscapes, that are more a play on surface than an ode to a particular place. One of the works (which I have recently completed) has this kind of 'inside looking out' feel to it and I enjoyed figuring out the composition as it flowed along. I'm currently working on the second painting and I have no idea how it will eventually turn out, often this can be frustrating in the process but magical when the painting reveals itself in the final few days. It will be great to present the works to a new audience in Madrid and I look forward to showing with a great international lineup.

For this show, I wanted to produce entirely psychological landscapes, that are more a play on surface than an ode to a particular place.