Tavon Taylor
Tavon Taylor is a photography-based artist from Washington, DC. He uses visual narrative as a representation of his lived experience as a queer black adult. He has been awarded The John Chervinsky Emerging Photographer Scholarship. His work has been shown at The Griffin Museum of Photography in Boston, Massachusetts.
Artist Statement
I question concepts of beauty while creating detailed and delicate photographs through a black lens. I find strength in vulnerability and create images influenced by family and community through portraiture, styling, still life, and landscapes.
Release Date: June 18, 2021
"This self portrait is from my project, The Clouds Whispered Your Name. During the creation of this project, I wanted to make images where I could just exist. In these images, I found freedom in my queerness and blackness. Being away from home, I wanted to create a space where I felt safe and connected, so I turned to the beauty of landscape. In this photograph, in particular, I only recognized the bliss much after the image was taken. The way I was embraced in the space, the way the flowers sat gracefully across my head, and the shadows of the plants shielding my skin - as each flower is so carefully placed, I find myself questioning if there’s a realm beyond this one."
Release Date: October 1, 2021
"I am exploring my family’s lineage and making images of the ones who are closest to me. This image is inspired by the story of my family’s rose bush. The rose bush was dug up from my family’s home in Washington D.C. and moved to the place I know as my childhood home. But now that setting has withered into a memory. Those times now live through us and with that, it is our responsibility to carry these stories and to inspire generations to come."