Susan Aaron-Taylor
Susan Aaron-Taylor is an American artist who creates mixed-media sculptures. For forty years she was a professor at the Crafts Department of the College for Creative Studies, Detroit, Michigan. Her work is abstract and surreal that stems from alchemy, focusing on story-telling with dream-like qualities. Biography. Susan Aaron-Taylor was born 1947 in Brooklyn, New York. She lives and creates art works in Pleasant Ridge, Michigan. Career. Aaron-Taylor earned a Bachelor of Science at Wayne State University and a Master of Fine Arts at Cranbrook Academy of Art. She served as the  Section Chairperson of the Fiber Design Department. and Professor of the Crafts Department at the College for Creative Studies for over 40 years in Detroit, Michigan. When she retired, Aaron-Taylor was granted emeritus status. Aaron-Taylor is known for her artworks that draw inspiration from her knowledge of alchemy, story-telling, chemistry, Jungian psychology, philosophy, archetypes, and the Collective Unconscious. She has exhibited for over thirty years and her work has been included in permanent as well as private collections. Style and technique. Aaron-Taylor has created a body of artwork that consists of modest-sized sculptural objects which  depict fantasy-like figures recalled from her dreams, including dogs, cats and other small creatures. The distortions from the anatomical correctness of the objects results from a practice of using tree roots, affixing felt in multiple colors for the basis of the core figure's form. She hand-processes her own felt. which she uses emulate an animal's pelt. She incorporates other natural and man-made materials, such as gemstones, pieces of metal, teeth and bone. She uses meditation and Jungian imagery as a source for inspirations. One of Aaron-Taylor's most prominent work was in the "Dreamscapes  and Soul Shards" series which focuses on the psychology of marriage, dreams, and turning the ordinary into the extraordinary. The "Soul Shards" series focuses on the retrieval of these broken pieces of soul. Before creating a series and gathering her materials, Aaron-Taylor will research her pieces to build upon her ideas to enhance the story-telling process. She believes that the process of making a piece is journey and as a long-time student of the Jungian psychology, most of her work comes from dreams that are a direct response from her interest in The Tarot, shamanism, ritual, alchemy , archetypes, and the collective unconscious. She brings forth parts from her dreams that bring poignancy, humor, and meaning. Each series stems from an important aspect of Aaron-Taylor's life whether it was from childhood or dreams, they deal with fascination and narrative story-telling.