Tayler Jakeway

Artist Statement

Whether happy or sad, dreams are a part of everyone’s life. Even if the dream is more of a feeling while you are awake, the hope for something in the future, the fears for when you are asleep; a dream is part of the human experience. 

As an artist I have always been fascinated with conceptual work that has more to it than simply to be a pretty picture. I enjoy the complexity and meaning of an image because it connects us, despite how it is depicted.  Thoughts, emotions, experiences, and even dreams have always been something I want to portray in my art.  I have found a connection between these artistic values and the values found in Surreal Symbolism. The three tools of Surrealism I mainly utilize would be Symbolism, Levitation, and Dislocation. By focusing on Surrealism as an overarching theme, I hope to create conversations about my personal work that is inspired by my lived experiences. I also hope to show how art can have a deeper meaning other than to just be beautiful. 

Communication has always been something I struggle with as someone who has Autism and ADHD. With art, I not only found an outlet for that communication but a connecting string that ties me to other people and eases that struggle.  My art for me is a story about my thoughts, emotions, experiences, or simply how I see things. It is my way of communicating with others. 

My goal is to use the parameters of Surreal Art themes to help convey ideas, emotions, and personal experiences, to better connect myself to others and put those experiences into physical form. My wish is for my work to have an impact on others, open lines of communication, and to create work that will show who I am long after I am gone.