Susan Aaron-Taylor
Birth nameSusan Aaron
Birth dateJuly 1947 (age 79–80)
Birth placeBrooklyn, New York, U.S.
EducationMaster of Fine Arts, Cranbrook Academy of Art
Alma materWayne State University
Known forHer art works which are deeply rooted in traditions of alchemy/creative fantasy.
Notable worksSoul Shard #30, 2006

Susan Aaron-Taylor ( Aaron; born July 1947) is an American artist who creates mixed-media sculptures.[1] For forty years she was a professor at the Crafts Department of the College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan. Her work is abstract and surreal, stemming from alchemy and focusing on story-telling with dream-like qualities.

Biography

Susan Aaron was born in July 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. She lives and creates art works in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan.[2]

Career

She earned a Bachelor of Science at Wayne State University and a Master of Fine Arts at Cranbrook Academy of Art.[3] She served as the Section Chairperson of the Fiber Design Department.[4] and Professor of the Crafts Department at the College for Creative Studies for over 40 years[5] in Detroit, Michigan.[3] When she retired, Aaron-Taylor was granted emeritus status.[6]

Aaron-Taylor is known for her artworks that draw inspiration from her knowledge of alchemy, story-telling, chemistry, Jungian psychology, philosophy, archetypes, and the Collective Unconscious.[7] She has exhibited for over thirty years[5] and her work has been included in permanent as well as private collections.

Style and technique

Aaron-Taylor has created a body of artwork that consists of modest-sized sculptural objects which depict fantasy-like figures recalled from her dreams, including dogs, cats and other small creatures. The distortions from the anatomical correctness of the objects results from a practice of using tree roots, affixing felt in multiple colors for the basis of the core figure's form. She hand-processes her own felt. which she uses emulate an animal's pelt. She incorporates other natural and man-made materials, such as gemstones, pieces of metal, teeth and bone.[1][8][9] She uses meditation and Jungian imagery as a source for inspirations.[1][9]

One of Aaron-Taylor's most prominent work was in the Dreamscapes and Soul Shards series which focuses on the psychology of marriage, dreams, and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. The Soul Shards series focuses on the retrieval of these broken pieces of soul.[10]

My dreams have been sourcing my creative life for over three decades. I continue to delight in discovering their essence, distilling and then sharing that one magical moment. My goal is to create clear, psychologically charged vignettes... I play with the symbols in my dreams as I embrace and tease out images from my unconscious that inspire and bring forth poignancy, humor and meaning.[11]

Before creating a series and gathering her materials, Aaron-Taylor will research her pieces to build upon her ideas to enhance the story-telling process. She believes that the process of making a piece is journey and as a long-time student of the Jungian psychology, most of her work comes from dreams that are a direct response from her interest in The Tarot, shamanism, ritual, alchemy, archetypes, and the collective unconscious.[10] She brings forth parts from her dreams that bring poignancy, humor, and meaning.[11]

Significant works

Shows and collections

  • Selected one-person exhibitions[14][17][18][19]
  • Soul Shard #30, 2006; Wayne State University Art Permanent Collection, Detroit, MI[7]
  • Deity VIII, 1990; Cranbrook Art Museum Permanent Collection No. CAM 1992.17, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI.
  • Renaissance Center, Commissioned Wall Relief - Westin Hotels, Detroit, MI[3][17]
  • K-Mart Corporation, Permanent Collection, Troy, MI[3][17]

Reviews and essays

  • Dennis Alan Nawrocki; Steve Panton; Matthew Piper. "Essay'd 3: 30 Detroit artists". Wayne State University Press (2018). ISBN 9780814345870.[20]
  • Green, Roger. "Personal Paths In her mixed-media sculptures, Susan Aaron-Taylor re-creates the landscape of her dreams, informed by Carl Jung's spiritually charged concepts." American Craft Council 70, no. 6 (2010):30. ISSN 0194-8008.[1]
  • Carl Kamulski; Sisson Gallery. "2010 Motor City Revue: 38 Detroit artists". Henry Ford Community College (2010). OCLC 608538323.[21]

References

  1. ^ Green, Roger (6 December 2010). "Deeply Felt Creations". American Craft. Vol. 70, no. 6. American Craft Council. pp. 30–31. OCLC 688336510. Archived from the original on 10 July 2019. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  2. ^ Apel, Dora (5 September 2017). "77 Susan Aaron-Taylor". Essay'd. Archived 21 April 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 9 July 2019.
  3. ^ Atkinson, Scott (19 March 2012). "Detroit Area Artist Susan Aaron-Taylor featured at Mott Community College Fine Arts Gallery". MLIVE. Archived 19 January 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  4. ^ Wallace, San Dee (6 April 2006). "Krasl Art Center presents 3 very different artists' works". The Herald-Palladium. pp. D1. Archived 3 August 2022 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 July 2019. – via Newspapers.com
  5. ^ "Art Program: Strata". North Campus Research Complex. 5 September 2017. Archived from the original on 19 January 2025. Retrieved 16 September 2019.
  6. ^ "Susan Aaron-Taylor - Professor Emerita CCS". College for Creative Studies. Archived from the original on 12 July 2019. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  7. ^ Lane Borden, Emily (27 February 2017). "Exhibitions > Picture of the Week - Soul Shard #30". University Art Collection. Wayne State University. Archived 19 January 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 15 September 2019.
  8. ^ McNichols, Mary (Spring 2010). "A Conversation with Susan Aaron-Taylor". Jung Journal: Culture & Psyche. 4 (2): 110–122. doi:10.1525/jung.2010.4.2.110. JSTOR 10.1525/jung.2010.4.2.110. S2CID 144705086
  9. ^ DeVito, Lee (10 June 2015). "Susan Aaron-Taylor exhibits as one of three solo shows at N'Namdi Center for Contemporary Art". Metro Times. Archived 2 October 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 July 2019.
  10. ^ "Interview with Artist and Teacher: Susan Aaron-Taylor: from Psyche's Journey". psychesjourney.org. Retrieved 2020-10-15.[dead link]
  11. ^ "Projects: Susan Aaron-Taylor - Dream Games". River Gallery. Archived from the original on October 2, 2023. Retrieved 10 July 2019.
  12. ^ "A Detail From A 'Deity'". Detroit Free Press. February 27, 1992. p. 86. Archived July 12, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved 12 July 2019. – via Newspapers.com
  13. ^ "Dream Games Series". College for Creative Studies. July 16, 2013. Archived from the original on July 12, 2019. Retrieved September 15, 2019.
  14. ^ Chessler, Suzanne (June 29, 2023 [September 9, 2016]). "A Tenuous Threshold: The work of Susan Aaron-Taylor, on view at the BBAC.". The Jewish News. Archived October 2, 2023 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 12, 2019.
  15. ^ "Collections". Susan Aaron-Taylor. January 24, 2013. Archived April 26, 2017 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved October 15, 2020.
  16. ^ "Susan Aaron-Taylor: Endangered Species Series". Detroit Contemporary. 2023. Archived from the original on June 4, 2024. Retrieved June 4, 2024. – via Issuu
  17. ^ "Susan Aaron-Taylor". River Gallery. Archived January 19, 2025 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 10, 2019.
  18. ^ Miro, Marsha (April 28, 1995). "Fantasy and mythology mix". Detroit Free Press. p. 43. Archived July 12, 2019 at the Wayback Machine. Retrieved July 15, 2019. – via Newspapers.com
  19. ^ Letts, K.A. (October 23, 2017). "Gallery Exhibition: Susan Aaron Taylor at NCRC Galleries". Rustbelt Arts. Archived from the original on January 19, 2025. Retrieved July 15, 2019.
  20. ^ Nawrocki, Dennis Alan; Panton, Steve; Piper, Matthew (2018). Essay'd 3: 30 Detroit Artists. Wayne State University Press. ISBN 9780814345870. OCLC 1026687665
  21. ^ Kamulski, Carl (2010). 2010 Motor City Revue: 38 Detroit artists (Exhibition catalog). Henry Ford College. OCLC 608538323

Further reading