Taylor Pickett, Janet (b. 1948)
Me & Matisse.

Montclair, NJ, 2003.

Limited edition artist's book, number 6 of 10 copies twice signed by Taylor, once in ink on the front board and again in pencil on the colophon; illustrated with numerous collages including photographs of the artist and her family, drawings, paintings, alongside manuscript captions; bound in a red cloth Kolo album tied with blue ribbon; 8 ¾ x 10 ¼ in.

"Once there lived a little girl named Janet. Her mother and father nicknamed her 'janpan.' She dreamed of becoming an artist. She sort of grew up and worked at becoming an artist herself. One day she discovered an artist by the name of Henri Matisse. She fell in love with his color and dreamt of living inside of his rooms…"

A renowned mixed media artist who works with flashing colors and bold lighting, Janet Taylor Pickett's pieces are inspired by her life experience as a Black woman artist working in the United States. One of her main artistic influences is Henri Matisse, whose paintings she first encountered at a young age. In 2017, the Montclair Art Museum in Montclair, New Jersey exhibited a series of her works that directly converse with Matisse's oeuvre, including over 70 pieces from Janet's career. This artist's book recounts how Matisse influenced Taylor Pickett's own life and profession, according to her, literally illustrating, "how I've insinuated myself into Matisse's interiors", "my own personal conversation with [Matisse's] work and my journey as an African-American visual artist".

Condition
For inquiries about condition, please contact:
Devon Eastland, Senior Specialist: deastland@swanngalleries.com
Grace Meschery-McCormack, Cataloguer: gmccormack@swanngalleries.com