Exploring the Applachain Roots of Artist Luther Taylor

From summers spent perched high above the Southwest Virginia mountains, hand-painting Outdoor Advertising billboards to mastering the intricacies of silk-screen printing at SunFire Graphic Studio, in Tazewell, Virginia, I learned to respect the tactile, traditional techniques that would define my work for decades. It was during these formative years that I developed not just my technical skills but also my unwavering work ethic—a foundation that would serve me well as I pursued greater ambitions.

Fueled by a desire to grow, I moved to Atlanta in 1989 to attend the Art Institute of Atlanta, where I majored in Visual Communications and Commercial Art. It was a time of technological revolution, and I found myself at the crossroads of traditional craftsmanship and digital innovation. My love for process-driven work combined seamlessly with emerging tools like computer-aided design, opening up new creative horizons. I still remember the goosebumps I felt while framing an original Picasso drawing as an employee at a fine art gallery—it was a humbling moment that cemented my dedication to artistic mastery.

“A lot of the the pieces didn’t make it into this exibition. Like this oil on film that was transfered to fine art paper while still wet. Just wierd experiments that I found help me enter a play mode where I don’t care if I mess up.” — Luther Taylor

Part 1 of a 3 Part Interview Artist Luther Taylor, stay tuned and see his latest exhibition at Haus of Taylor.