Monya Rowe Gallery is pleased to announce Lily Taylor’s first solo exhibition in New York, titled left open. An opening reception with the artist will be held on Thursday, February 19, from 6 to 8 p.m.
Taylor drew inspiration from her current family environment but relied heavily on memories of the past, recreating memories of growing up in New York. The paintings are filled with underlying discomfort—from middle school anxieties to family dynamics. The work grapples with the ambiguous nature of memory and pieces the past together. Taylor embraces the power of sentimentality and nostalgia, but also confronts the complexities of misunderstood communication. Even shared experiences can make a big difference. By looking into the past, we can begin to better understand ourselves and those around us.
Through careful compositional decisions, the familiar becomes unfamiliar. Negative space is used to create a certain mood and determine the relationship to the depicted object. Cropping or framing is a metaphor for psychological disorders. The flat areas of the painting create a tension with the depth of space represented in the painting, marking a form of alienation or introspection. Taylor carefully selects everyday objects such as umbrellas, cakes or dining tables to serve as conduits for unresolved memories of past events. Objects can carry different symbolic meanings at different times. As Magritte said: “Everything we see hides something else.”
exist Phone #2 (2025), in an empty room, the receiver of a rotary phone goes “off-hook”, creating an unsettling impression. This isolated object is filled with worry. Telephones are used to symbolize communication or lack of communication, but also to suggest hidden or concealed information. The audience is forced to move through these gaps of silence. The urban landscapes in the exhibition reflect an exploration of depth and flatness within the home, while also providing respite from a closed world. Views observed through city windows can serve as a pause in uncertainty while providing moments of reflection or mental stillness.
