Manimal. Orig. Acrylic Painting

Tom Taylor-The Poet Spiel. a/k/a Thoss W. Taylor, a/k/a Spiel. American artist-writer. b. May 15, 1941 in Colorado. Making art is the ongoing process of creating the batter for my daily bread. Some days, it is rich and buttery, some days sour vinegar and salt and many days it is a batter laced with shards of glass and steel. I take equally the challenge of deep topics in my work, such as mental illness, aging and sexual obsession, yet I do not fear the often disparaged challenge of perfecting the decorative arts. For seven decades, I have discovered and revealed my state of mind, my needs and my fulfillments, via ever-evolving methods of serving my art-de-jour. I am largely self-taught as an artist; I began drawing animals and buildings when I was a child on a Colorado farm during the 1940s . Formal art education has played a minor role in my art career. The curiosity to explore ideas has been the major force in discovering how and what I choose to create. I am always willing to move on to new territory, new methods, new subjects of pursuit. A major retrospective of my work may appear as if several artists had created it, though I sense a common thread throughout. Social commentary is of consistent concern, in both my art and my writing. Much of my work, from each field, has been internationally published. I have been honored with dozens of solo exhibitions in major museums, universities and galleries. My images have appeared on scores of types of products: limited edition prints, posters, book covers, album covers, in magazines, on garments and household objects, etc. Art licensing has served me well. The images in my Saatchi Online site may span decades -- not just recent work. Extensive illustrations and information about my work and my career may be found at: www.thepoetspiel.name. Dr. William Folkestad, Chair of the Department of Art at Colorado State University, wrote: "...Viewing paintings such as these is like reading a series of private letters. The clean forcefulness of Spiel's imagery acts like clamps on the viewer's consciousness. The Poet Spiel's fecund imagination shapes rich, clear imagery. He editorializes on our society's misfortunes including hollow social promises, mismanaged religions and political aspirations that can be appropriated for ill.