Clark Nova

2008, L34 by W32 by H13 inches: wire and a working Underwood typewriter, automotive paint

Brett Taylor has always been heavily influenced by the written word, particularly the experimental or avant garde writers that came through in the 50s and 60s – including William S. Burroughs.

This piece is a beautiful tribute to WSB’s seminal work The Naked Lunch. Brett felt that the film by Canadian director David Cronenberg actually managed to capture the essence of the writing, and this sculpture is a tribute to both the book and the iconic scene in the film where the author/lead character confronts writer’s block. The hallucinatory nature of the scene is extremely powerful, and conjures up the devouring energy of creativity.

By using a working typewriter, the piece has a nostalgic feeling for when the written word was really written.



photos Marlo Forsberg 2009, on display at SIAST Photography