I already knew walking into the Musée national Picasso-Paris to see the Henry Taylor exhibition that he has long been one of the most important American painters of this era. I had never seen his work out of the US, and now, seeing it in the hallowed halls of the Picasso museum, in the world’s art capital of Paris, the works took on a new, more electrifying meaning. Not so much that they stand up in the pantheon of the past greats, but that his story of America feels so necessary now in the wake of the world turmoil at the hands of a particular version of American politics. This is the work of humanity, a painter understanding a thread of social awakening and the complexity of what it is to be American. It’s a powerful conversation of the many versions of America; needed more than ever.
It’s also a fascinating exploration of Taylor’s conversations with Picasso. You see it in works that directly reference but also play with the perspective of a human form. There is a directness but also an abstracted view of the body and it’s place in the world. It’s art historical work made in the present moment, and sometimes you need to fly across the world to understand what you may have taken for granted in an artist. —Evan Pricco
