Wendy Taylor
Wendy Taylor is known for her site-specific public sculptures that range in form and subject from large-scale abstract to anatomically specific depictions of animals. Educated at St Martin’s School of Art (1962–7) but growing up in East London, she was one of the few female students from a working-class background studying there at the time. Since 1981 Taylor has largely avoided commercial representation in favour of public commissions. This decision has contributed to her reputation as one of the first artists of her generation to ‘take art out of the galleries and into the streets’. Instead, her roster of over seventy site-specific works are designed for the public. Taylor has developed this sense of public duty through her involvement in urban development projects, such as through her role as Design Consultant for the Basildon Development Corporation in Essex (1985–8). The themes of play and illusion are apparent in her oeuvre, with some of her sculptures appearing to commit gravity-defying acts.
