Fraser Taylor is an artist and educator whose work has often involved printing onto cloth. A selection of works from his personal collection have been recently acquired by Glasgow School of Art Archives and Collections and are on display at the Reid Gallery on until April 20. Instant Whip: The Textile And Papers Of Fraser Taylor 1977–87 Revisited brings together historic material, recordings and archival film alongside newly commissioned pieces and shines a light on his years at Glasgow School of Art in the late 1970s, and his time with 1980s art collective The Cloth.
What’s the last book you read?
I finally put time aside to read Shuggie Bain by Douglas Stuart which is about a young Glasgow boy’s relationship with his alcoholic mother. I found the story emotionally honest and it confronts issues of not belonging and isolation. Set in Glasgow it resonated in a profound way as I felt I know every location. The relationship between the main characters Shuggie and Agnes is forceful and Shuggie’s anxiety and concern for his mother creates an oddly comforting tension throughout. I feel these two characters will always be with me. I have just started to read Douglas’s second novel, Young Mungo.
Recommend a novel …
The Temple by Stephen Spender is a semi-autobiographical novel about coming of age. It was written in 1930 but was not published in Britain until 1988, 21 years after the decriminalisation of homosexuality. It is an intensely provocative, intimate story of first love.
What’s the last film you saw in a cinema?
Killers Of The Flower Moon directed by Martin Scorsese, an epic film set in Oklahoma which is very long but every second is gripping. It presents a story about racial conflict, power and greed. Although the film takes place over one hundred years ago, the themes are still relevant within today disturbing political landscape. What music are you currently listening to a lot?
As part of my exhibition, Instant Whip, I put together a play list of 42 songs from 1977-87 that are particularly significant. My disparate selection includes Sex Pistols, Iggy Pop, Donna Summer, Grace Jones and Wham. When compiling this list what surprised me was how vital disco was. It was incredibly liberating and I have vivid memories of nightclubs and bars alive with its pulsating energy. The process reminded me of the command that music has and its ability to transfer one back to a very specific time and location.
What musical instrument do you wish you could play and why?
When I was young, I liked the idea of playing a musical instrument and at one point I took violin lessons. This was short lived as I was terrible, but realised I loved the violin case and the attention that came with it carrying it home from school. That was a very telling moment, as like many teenagers I was overly conscious of my image.
What has been your most formative cultural experience?
During my time at art school, I went on holiday to Italy. In Rome I stumbled upon an exhibition by the French painter and sculptor, Jean Dubuffet. I did not know his work. Suddenly I understood the importance of experiencing work first hand. The surfaces, its texture, the mixture of materials used took me by surprise and made me want to be more experimental and riskier with my own practice. Visiting galleries to see new work is still my greatest pleasure.
What’s your go-to YouTube video?
I am obsessed with pop culture, past and present, so I do spend probably too much time watching pop videos scrutinising how they are styled and staged.
Recommend a film …
The Man Who Fell To Earth by Nicolas Roeg starring David Bowie and Candy Clark. I saw it at Glasgow Film Theatre many years ago and it astonished me and I was hypnotised by Bowie’s performance. It triggered an interest in contemporary surreal film-making, and unexpectedly a curiosity in extra-terrestrial life.
What was the most memorable recent theatre show you saw?
I am the Guest Curator of the exhibition programme at Beacon Arts Centre in Greenock. It has an amazing theatre. I attended the Christmas Pantomime, Beauty And The Beast. The energy of the performance and the audience’s reaction was astonishing. I loved it. In juxtaposition, but of equal interest, I just went to see Scottish Opera’s UK premiere of Marx In London, composed by Jonathan Dove with lyrics by Charles Hart, at Theatre Royal Glasgow. It was stunning and I love the overall experience of going to the theatre, appreciating the building and observing the audience. I received a commission in 2018 from Ambassador Theatre Group and Scottish Opera to create a sculpture to mark the 150th Anniversary of the opening of Theatre Royal Glasgow. The work is entitled ‘Look and Look Again’ and it is made up of seven movable components inspired by observational drawings of the audience moving through the auditorium, foyer and its dramatic spiral staircase.
Who or what do you always turn off?
I can’t listen to jazz music. Not sure why, but I don’t get it. I feel I should like it and I have tried desperately but it irritates me.
Recommend a band …
Anohni And The Johnsons, previously known as Antony And The Johnsons, is a music ensemble based in New York that presents the work of English singer-songwriter Anohni and her collaborators. I have seen them perform live on many occasions and she has a voice like an angel but is also breathtakingly haunting.
And a TV box-set …
I was obsessed with Twin Peaks which premiered in 1990. It is the only TV series that I could never contemplate missing an episode of. David Lynch is a favourite director who, interestingly, started his career as a painter. The plot is complex and dark and the charters knotted. Lynch’s eye for colour and detail makes it visually mesmerising.
Who’s your favourite comedian?
French and Saunders. Especially Jennifer Saunders in Absolutely Fabulous a TV sitcom from mid-1990s. It is hysterical and still makes me laugh out loud today. It’s about Edina Monsoon a heavy drinking, drug-abusing PR mogul. The character is loosely based on fashion PR Lynne Franks. When I was part of the London-based textile design studio The Cloth, we produced fashion collections and Lynne was our PR. The sitcom captures perfectly the absurdity of the fashion industry and there are many moments in multiple episodes that I feel I witnessed.
Favourite film?
I love going to the cinema, particularly on my own. One that sticks with me is the 2003 film Dogville by Lars von Trier starring Nicole Kidman. Lars von Trier is a controversial film maker who makes incredibly challenging, provocative films. Dogville looks different as it is filmed on a stage which is stark and bleak and visually unsettling. This film prompted thoughts that made me return to the world different.
And favourite song?
Most definitely Heroes by David Bowie. I still remember the groundbreaking video, his sombre face staring directly into the camera. Stunning. In 1977 I was in my first year at The Glasgow School of Art, a very significant time for me, and this song reminds me of art school dances and finally feeling part of a supportive community.
Why did you move back to Glasgow?
I left Glasgow in 1981 after studying Printed Textiles at The Glasgow School of Art. I went to London to continue my studies at Royal College of Art. On graduation I was co-founder of The Cloth, a creative studio focused on contemporary textile design and production. In 2001 I moved to Chicago to take up a teaching position at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. I was given a sabbatical in 2013 and I returned to Scotland embarking on a year-long artist residency. That experience changed everything. When I moved back to Chicago, I was unsettled and missed amongst other things the landscape of Scotland. Without any offer of teaching or a clear idea of how things would work out, I moved home to Glasgow in 2017.
Has Glasgow changed culturally?
Glasgow was a vibrant city in the late 1970s with much cultural activity. The Citizens Theatre stands out in my memory for staging dynamic and beautifully designed productions. Unfortunately, there were few contemporary art galleries and the visual arts was still finding its position. That has all changed. Artists now live and thrive in Glasgow and benefit from amazing venues such as Tramway, Centre for Contemporary Arts and Glasgow Print Studio. The south side is witnessing a surge in galleries opening in renovated shopfronts and flats, showing the work of emerging talent. Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art, which takes place in July this year, attracts a global audience and has secured Scotland a place in the art world calendar.
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