Angus Taylor

Book excerpt: The first book on the South-African sculptor Angus Taylor to offer a comprehensive survey of his entire work to date. South African sculptor Angus Taylor, born in Johannesburg in 1970 and alumnus of the University of Pretoria, is known mainly for his monumental works. For these, in addition to the classic bronze, he uses a selection of materials special to his immediate environment: black granite, red jasper, straw, and the red earth of the Pretoria region. In the symbiosis of these materials with traditional artistic craft techniques, distinctly contemporary works arise, which Taylor pioneeringly positions as figurative landmark sculpture. This first-ever monograph on Taylor offers a comprehensive survey of his oeuvre to date. Key works from his entire career since the founding of his studio Dionysus Sculpture Works in 1997 are featured in full-color illustrations throughout. The essays discuss Taylor's methods, practices, and personal philosophies and put his work in context with South Africa's social situation as well as with his own biography. The book offers a much-welcomed and profound introduction to Taylor's innovative and characteristic body of work.