G. (All Thumbs) 1997

Curator: This is Al Taylor's "G. (All Thumbs)," a print from 1997. Editor: Stark and kind of unsettling. It's a close-up, black and white shot of a thumb with some bizarre… attachments? The composition's strangely captivating, though. Curator: Right. Taylor often combined mundane objects and photographic processes to explore perception. Look at the labor involved. The deliberate act of photographing a common object, then intervening on the surface of the print—that's a key part of his process. Editor: Precisely. That dark ink, strategically placed… on the nail it almost resembles a molecule diagram, and what seem like pieces of knotted string are positioned so precisely they become…alien almost, like structural components. Curator: They appear suspended, too, interacting with the surface of the photograph and by extension with the viewer’s space. Consider the social context. Taylor was active during a period when the art world was increasingly focused on grand narratives, but here, he’s bringing us down to the incredibly intimate. Editor: He definitely creates tension through these oppositions— between the mundane and the alien, between detail and grand narrative like you stated before. The stark monochromatic choice simplifies the form yet amplifies those textured, almost grotesque details of skin and string. There's such a fascinating dialogue between line, texture, and form here. Curator: The roughness and improvisational nature of the string also counters the precision typically associated with photography. The artist's touch is very present. Editor: Absolutely. The contrast reminds me that art isn't confined by its materials. He’s taken base, almost repulsive material and, by manipulating them, crafted something deeply unsettling. Curator: Taylor prompts us to reconsider our relationship to the overlooked and undervalued objects that surround us daily. Editor: It has that wonderful capacity to stay with you; it prompts you to re-examine the familiar. A successful subversion of expectations I would say!