Daily Loaf

Taylor Oliver's "one face of shaman": A photo of an image on an analog TV screen.

The recent transition to digital television marks the end of Dad making you grab the TV antenna and stand on a coffee table in the far corner of the room because the picture got fuzzy 30 seconds before the end of the big game. No more wrapping rabbit ears in foil trying to get a better reception. Many would say this is a good thing: clearer, sharper images, so clean you can see the pores on Angelina Jolie’s nose. But analog’s not dead yet. Tampa Bay artist Taylor Oliver keeps analog images alive — with photographs.

With his photographs of distorted analog television images blown up to large-scale prints, he’s created what he calls “painterly results.” We asked what inspired him to take photographs of television pictures.

What is this collection about?

This collection is from the period when I lived in NYC. Broadcast TV signals get scrambled by all the tall buildings clustered closely on the island of Manhattan. Any television without a cable hookup will have its picture distorted in one way or another as a result. The potential distortions are infinite in variety. Ghost and multiple images, spectacular color bleed, random patterns and much more are possible. As an artist and photographer this intrigued me, and I began to photograph the distorted TV images in my home. The results struck me as being very rich and not unlike painting. Aha! As I usually carried some kind of camera with me in my wanderings around Manhattan, I began photographing other interesting TVs I’d encounter in my travels. TVs at parties, TVs in store windows. One of my favorite images, “one face of the shaman,” is from a bar I was walking past. I noticed the image on the TV inside, and ran in to shoot it before it was gone. Having large (30″ x 40″) prints of these images revealed that not only were they visually arresting, but that the distortions in the commercially produced, commercially intended images had transformed them, seeming to release potent themes and archetypes never originally intended. I’m glad I shot plenty of this when I did. Today cable-enhanced TV is pretty much universal. This makes it virtually impossible to recreate the wonderful alchemy of forces in the natural world, working to transform empty, commercially intended images into revealing works of art. It’s very important to me that these images aren’t manipulated in any way. They may appear so, but they’re not. They’re the result of random natural processes. That’s what’s special.

Would you consider yourself a video artist?

No, not particularly. What I do mostly is photography, painting and occasional light sculpture. By way of shameless self-promotion, I must mention my website www.satoriart.net which features surreal and op-inspired paintings of mine. Satori is defined as the illumination of spirit sought by Zen buddhists. This illumination of spirit and the expansion of consciousness are the themes of images on the site. They’re available on T-shirts, coffee mugs, greeting cards and more. Frankly, I’d love for people to check the site just so I might receive more feedback on the artwork and the intended spirit of the site. OF COURSE, I’d like to sell merchandise, but that was almost a side effect of just wanting to have a place for my work to be on display.

What do you love about the Tampa Bay art scene?

Having previously lived in NYC and Chicago, which have rich art traditions, I was pleasantly surprised by the vibrant art community in the Tampa Bay area.

What is one of your favorite pieces in this show and why?

Tough question ’cause I love ‘em all, but maybe I can whittle the show down to two favorites. “consciousness” is one because it seems to transfix nearly everyone who looks at it. Heck, I’ve a therapist friend who has a copy at her practice and actually uses it in her therapy; it’s not just decor. The other favorite is “rabbit ears,” a tribute to Brigit Riley (legendary op-art painter) and to early TV tech. The distortion in this image (Steve Martin in a bunny suit in a hospital setting) just happens to mimic Bridget Riley’s distinctive op-art style. It was received by that particular TV using early TV tech (rabbit ears) and then there’s Steve Martin in . . . rabbit ears. Ya gotta love it. Viewed up close there appear to be ghostly representational forms, but it’s essentially a large op-art pattern. Viewed from about 30″ back there are people and you can see expressions on their faces, which WILL dissolve as you move closer. A great example of the alchemy I mentioned.

How long have you been an artist and what are you known for?

I’ve been an artist for longer than I care to remember, ‘tho’ I’m not responsible for any cave paintings, and I’m known for my cornball sense of humor, and a love of cars, bikes and movies.

Catch Taylor Oliver’s work currently featured in the beautiful Osceola Gallery at the Clearwater Main Library through August 27th. Come check out these larger-than-life images hanging in their modern, glass hallways.

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