Writing a few lines of poetry about aesthetic and style may bring the reader some understanding of artistic motives, but rarely do these biographies provide any real insight. Often they are just mandatory components for artists, who—put into the uncomfortable position of explaining their work—rely on the vagueness of language to fill the space.
While it would be unwise to put myself above tradition by shrugging off this duty, I will nevertheless decline to embrace it. I think it is fair of the viewer to ask, “who is the person that created these images?” but quite inconsiderate to ask them “why?” I will answer both questions, one more succinctly than the other:
Who is the person that created these images?
That would be me, Taylor D. Dewey. I am also pictured at right in case that particular image was mistaken for something other than a biographical photo. Superficially I have answered the question of “who,” but certainly that there is more to me than a name and a photograph!
If you are an anthropologist, then perhaps it is helpful to know that my artistic inclinations may have been passed to me through my grandmother’s family. The Ness produced artwork that could hang on the wall, stand freely upon the ground, or float in the Puget Sound.
I am much less skilled with a chisel or a brush than any of my relatives. Instead, I have been attracted to the medium of my generation; that of the computer. For me, digital photography and design are what paintings and architecture were to my grandparents.
Why?
To quote G. Chapman, J. Cleese, T. Gilliam, et. al., “…shrubberies are my trade. I am a shrubber. My name is Roger the Shrubber. I arrange, design, and sell shrubberies.”