www.dswartstudio.com:
The creative studio and foundry Dionysus Sculpture Works (DSW) was established by South African sculptor Angus Taylor in 1996. This creative space is constantly expanding, striving towards excellence and offering a notable contribution to the South African art scape.
DSW has completed a vast number of sculptures and installations in public spaces across South Africa and abroad. The foundry often utilises traditional media in combination with other materials such as granite, concrete and marble. Angus Taylor’s Dionysus, a monumental scale figure carved in granite, measuring 4.2m in height and 6.2m in width, was built at Tokara Wine Estate in Stellenbosch in 2017. This sculpture was awarded the Helgaard Steyn Award for Taylor’s notable contribution to South African sculpture.
www.angustaylor.co.za:
Angus Taylor, born 1970, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Angus Taylor is a force to be reckoned with. He relishes working with challenging materials on a scale that manylptors find intimidating. His craftsmanship, bold and visionary approach and his original use of materials has resulted in landmark sculptures and many ambitious public and private commissions around the world.
Known for his powerful, often monumental, sculptural works, Taylor works with an extraordinary range of materials from his immediate environment – Belfast granite, red jasper and the orange soil found near Pretoria, where his studio is based. Even when he chooses traditional materials such as granite or bronze, he deploys innovative techniques; imprinting texts into the bronze surfaces or eschewing the ‘carvability’ of granite in favour of its block-like potential to construct works that allude to human form, without describing it.
Contrasted with these materials, are works made of packed grass, compacted earth, charcoal briquettes and stacked slate. The inventiveness with which he tackles materials positions Taylor as a post-modern artist making reference to traditional crafting techniqut using them to create works that are unmistakably contemporary.
Two decades ago Taylor founded Dionysus Sculpture Works (DSW) where he honed his moulding and casting proficiencies to become a master craftsman. DSW’s skills in modelling, mould-making and casting has made it a much sought-after foundry and, in addition to Taylor’s own projects, the foundry casts for many other leading artists, including Norman Catherine, Sam Nhlengethwa and Deborah Bell. Through his foundry, he employs, trains and nurtures a staff of almost 40 and also finds time to develop the talent of younger artists.
In 2017 he was awarded the prestigious Helgaard Steyn Award for his notable contribution to South African sculpture.
Angus Taylor’s work can be found in many private and public collections in Africa, Europe, North America and Australia.
Written by Georgie Shields for the “In the middle of it” solo exhibition catalogue at Everard Read London.
www.dutchfootsteps.co.za:
Born in 1970 in Hillb Taylor has received worldwide acclaim for creating sculptures by using traditional techniques and materials in a contemporary way.
He mostly works on a large scale, creating impressive sculptures while the positioning of the pieces questions traditional western ways. His works appear in a wide range of locations, from public plazas and malls to private collections, and he was commissioned to do a work for the Lange Voorhout Exhibition Museum Beelden aan Zee in Den Haag. The Beelden aan Zee exhibition was opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (who was at that time still Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and stepped down on 30 April 2013 in favour of her son Willem-Alexander, the present King). A similar work can be viewed on the corner of Park and Kirkness Streets, close to Loftus.
The creative studio and foundry Dionysus Sculpture Works (DSW) was established by South African sculptor Angus Taylor in 1996. This creative space is constantly expanding, striving towards excellence and offering a notable contribution to the South African art scape.
DSW has completed a vast number of sculptures and installations in public spaces across South Africa and abroad. The foundry often utilises traditional media in combination with other materials such as granite, concrete and marble. Angus Taylor’s Dionysus, a monumental scale figure carved in granite, measuring 4.2m in height and 6.2m in width, was built at Tokara Wine Estate in Stellenbosch in 2017. This sculpture was awarded the Helgaard Steyn Award for Taylor’s notable contribution to South African sculpture.
www.angustaylor.co.za:
Angus Taylor, born 1970, Johannesburg, South Africa.
Angus Taylor is a force to be reckoned with. He relishes working with challenging materials on a scale that manylptors find intimidating. His craftsmanship, bold and visionary approach and his original use of materials has resulted in landmark sculptures and many ambitious public and private commissions around the world.
Known for his powerful, often monumental, sculptural works, Taylor works with an extraordinary range of materials from his immediate environment – Belfast granite, red jasper and the orange soil found near Pretoria, where his studio is based. Even when he chooses traditional materials such as granite or bronze, he deploys innovative techniques; imprinting texts into the bronze surfaces or eschewing the ‘carvability’ of granite in favour of its block-like potential to construct works that allude to human form, without describing it.
Contrasted with these materials, are works made of packed grass, compacted earth, charcoal briquettes and stacked slate. The inventiveness with which he tackles materials positions Taylor as a post-modern artist making reference to traditional crafting techniqut using them to create works that are unmistakably contemporary.
Two decades ago Taylor founded Dionysus Sculpture Works (DSW) where he honed his moulding and casting proficiencies to become a master craftsman. DSW’s skills in modelling, mould-making and casting has made it a much sought-after foundry and, in addition to Taylor’s own projects, the foundry casts for many other leading artists, including Norman Catherine, Sam Nhlengethwa and Deborah Bell. Through his foundry, he employs, trains and nurtures a staff of almost 40 and also finds time to develop the talent of younger artists.
In 2017 he was awarded the prestigious Helgaard Steyn Award for his notable contribution to South African sculpture.
Angus Taylor’s work can be found in many private and public collections in Africa, Europe, North America and Australia.
Written by Georgie Shields for the “In the middle of it” solo exhibition catalogue at Everard Read London.
www.dutchfootsteps.co.za:
Born in 1970 in Hillb Taylor has received worldwide acclaim for creating sculptures by using traditional techniques and materials in a contemporary way.
He mostly works on a large scale, creating impressive sculptures while the positioning of the pieces questions traditional western ways. His works appear in a wide range of locations, from public plazas and malls to private collections, and he was commissioned to do a work for the Lange Voorhout Exhibition Museum Beelden aan Zee in Den Haag. The Beelden aan Zee exhibition was opened by Her Royal Highness Princess Beatrix of the Netherlands (who was at that time still Queen of the Kingdom of the Netherlands and stepped down on 30 April 2013 in favour of her son Willem-Alexander, the present King). A similar work can be viewed on the corner of Park and Kirkness Streets, close to Loftus.