Urban Portraits: From Provo to Istanbul

Personal Points of Reference.

I have been recently putting together a portraiture project which intimately involves the process of meeting and coming to know someone. It aims at exploring the ways in which humans perceive meeting other people, especially in seemingly 'random encounters.' From Eastern Europe to Utah Valley Regional Medical Center, I have sought out opportunities to simply meet and communicate with others that are around me. I try to construct a portrait of the subject which reflects the individual and the meeting in general. This is influenced by countless factors such as the weather, the setting of the encounter or meeting, the nature of the conversation that took place, and how well I knew the person at the time, if at all. In this way, I render a visual representation with various media of not only the subject, but the experience itself.

I love to use art (in the form of visual art, music, film, etc) as a 'point of personal reference.' I am able to measure my personal growth and change against my constantly evolving responses to good art and unmoving truth. So, the 'purpose' of this project might change as time goes on, as I, uh, 'change and learn.' Enough pretentious disclaimer. Enjoy. More coming soon.



"...moved on. Life has a direction. . ."
ballpoint pen, watercolor, gesso, charcoal on cold press
Location: Amarillo, TX
Notes: Old friend from home. Liked her dreads. Talked about a breakup she had just went through. Exchanged life advice. *hadn't met in years.




"london london"
ballpoint pen, watercolor, soy sauce on cold press.
Location: Provo, UT
Notes: Rainy. Everything seemed gray. She was wearing shoes I remember commenting on. Conversation topic rested on how Provo differed from where she was from originally, and how she wants to live in England one day. Maybe I do too, someday. Maybe not. *first-time, happenstance encounter


Taylor Collins probably has a birthday coming up and will gladly accept gifts now.
Bare Bones Flickr.

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Urban Portraits: From Provo to Istanbul

Chances are, you're reading this in a public place. Maybe you're in a coffee shop. Or maybe a library. The bus. Your family home. Is there someone else near you? Maybe across the room? Glance at them. Don't stare, that's creepy. Just glance. A one second glimpse. Have you done that? Ok, now go ahead and try and draw them. Did it turn out well? Probably not, and don't feel bad. Not all of us can be as talented as Taylor Collins.

We're proud to feature the first in a series of portraits Collins is doing called "Urban Portraits." A local Provo-vian, Collins has been working on sneaking glimpses into the lives of others by meeting and quickly sketching people around the world. Through a variety of mediums we come to know the world of the random and strange encounter. A picture of a man he met on an airplane. People he meets on the street. We see, for a second, what it's like to be an objective and interested party in a new relationship.



Gesso, watercolor, and ballpoint pen on particle board



Blue ballpoint pen on drawing paper

Caricature art, this is not.

Taylor Collins obviously has some art nouveau issues he's not ready to discuss with you.

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