Interview with Brian Taylor

I finished college when I was 20 at UCSD and then I went to Stanford for a Masters in Education. I studied with the lovable Leo Holub, Stanford’s first photo teacher, and founder of their photo program. He had a great respect for Oliver (Gagliani) and was a real kindred spirit. I had the great opportunity of being able to teach my first photo class there, during summer school. I was invited to be their first MFA in photography. It would have been tempting to stay on at Stanford for another degree, but I was fortunate enough to get accepted into the University of New Mexico, where I could study the history of photography with the venerable Beaumont Newhall. Van Deren Coke founded the program after being the director of the George Eastman House. When I went to New Mexico they were very avant-garde; Tom Barrow was scratching his negatives, which was unthinkable in traditional photography. The teacher I loved the most was Betty Hahn, who Coke brought in for a handmade aesthetic. Through her, I learned the non-silver processes that are so dear to me now. She taught me gum bichromate and cyanotype printing. Betty redirected me from Oliver’s traditional Minor White, Zone System aesthetic towards a freer, more-liberated, anything-goes aesthetic.

An excerpt of Brian Taylor’s Interview with Jim Kasson of the Center for Photographic Arts in Carmel. Read more of the interview HERE

Gallery 291 at The Image Flow will be showing pieces from Brian’s “The Art of Getting Lost” and “Russian American Exchange” projects.

Brian Taylor Opening
February 8 at 7pm
Gallery 291 at The Image Flow

Related Posts