Mentor's Mark, by Steed Taylor

Steed Taylor

Mentor's Mark, 2007 - Latex on Asphalt, 18' x 160'

Mentor's Mark (2007), by Steed Taylor (Click for High-Resol. Image)

Steed Taylor was born in Cumberland County, North Carolina in 1959. His family was never stationed in one town very long for his father was a career Army officer stationed at various locations around the world. Despite his infrequent stability he earned a B.A. in Studio Art and English from the University of North Carolina as well as an MBA in Finance and Marketing from American University in Washing,ton, D.C. and the Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture. Over the years, Mr. Taylor's work has consisted of many a tattoos. In 1997 as he attended Skowhegan School for Painting and Sculpture, Taylor's first idea of creating Tattoo's as an art emerged.¹

Steed Taylor has done several Celtic knotwork pieces, drawing on a style that originated in European history. The Studio in the Park (1999), for example, is a Tattoo designed in the ground of the park.² Birthday Knot, completed in Fall 2007, uses house paint on asphalt.³

Completed on September 24^th, 2007, the Celtic knotwork in Mentor's Mark, is one of one of Taylor's pieces that captures the viewer's interest. With this piece Taylor uses a parking lot as his canvas; this creation is a "Road Tattoo." I always believed that tattoos were designed on people's skin to express a symbol of love; I never considered the road being the skin of the community. Steed Taylor took the same idea and created a memorable sculpture in the parking lot. He uses names of mentors which he incorporates into the design and then high-gloss latex is poured over the piece. Over time, weather conditions cause the paint to liquify into the road causing the names to disappear with passing light.⁴

Mentor's Mark was displayed at the 2007 Exhibition in the Jamaica Center for Arts. Since then "Mentor's Mark" has been displayed at the entrance of York College's parking lot. As a tribute to all mentors within York College, an inauguration of Mentor's Mark was kept and the clergyman conducted a prayer over the work to seal the creation. As a student as I drive through the entrance of the Performing Arts Center, Mentor's Mark captures my attention. It is considered to be the perfect design to be driven over.

by Charleen Tucker

Links to Related Content (links open in a new browser window)

Joanna Heathole's interview with Steed Taylor - In this interview, the reader learns how Taylor got into visual art, the difficulties of classifying his work and his medical history of being HIV+.
Steed Taylor in the Schroeder Romero Gallery - Steed Taylor's hallway project. Includes the artist's statement.
Steed Taylor at the Rockland Center for the Arts - Road Tattoo’s are personal way of demonstrating your work publicly instead of your body. This reflects the importance of an area where the art is placed.

Notes

Source: The Last Judgment Project. http://www.thelastjudgmentproject.com
Information about "Studio in the Park" from Bravin & Lee Gallery, Riverside Park in Manhattan, New York. http://www.bravinlee.com/park.html
Source for information about the Birthday Knot: Real Art Ways. http://www.realartways.org/archive/bodies_spec2.html
Source for information about Taylor's technique: http://mamazilla.blogspot.com/2006/08/steed-taylor-w-road-tattoo.html

return to top