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Matakana Pictures Exhibitions Artists

Mikel Taylor spent his childhood in Taihape, New Zealand, before attending St Peter’s Catholic School in Palmerston North, where he first became interested in photography when he was 14 years old.

At school he was the only photographic student and was left to his own devices.

He built his own dark room and found inspiration in great black and white photographers such as Robert Capa, Eugene Smith and Henri Cartier-Bresson.

After seventh form, he studied in Photography at Auckland’s UNITEC before working for two and a half years in commercial studios

Deciding against a commercial career, Mikel turned to documentary photography, focusing on the breadth of human experience ˆ of people learning about themselves and being expressive.

For several years he travelled all over Europe to Alaska and South America before returning to Aotearoa.

Some of his more striking work include The Gathering 1998, the opening of Te Papa and the indigenous protest against the Ngawha prison complex in 2000. Some of the images can be seen on mikeltaylor.com.

Currently Mikel is living in Lyall Bay, Wellington.

 

La Lune 15.October - 11.December 2005

From the past comes a thought, Some where deep within the heritage that is fused with my contempery self a voice calls. It’s not a sentence or words at all but it’s like a song of feeling.

When My family came to New Zealand maybe we where apart of a plan to out number the local people, to over power and condition them. Maybe some government authority had the idea. Now in this time I find it clear that something else happened. The fusion of the two Brought the local spirit within. The song of all souls. With no education and no understanding except what I feel I sense the connection of ancestors and feel the calling and I respond.

Mikel Taylor
New Zealand

 
Mikel Taylor

Mikel Taylor

18. Untitled

Price: $400
Media: Digital Lambda print
Edition: 1/5
Dimension: 470 x 470 mm

 
Mikel Taylor

Mikel Taylor

19. Balance

Price: $400
Media: Digital Lambda print
Edition: 1/5
Dimension: 470 x 470 mm

 
Mikel Taylor

Mikel Taylor

20. The Meeting

Price: $400
Media: Digital Lambda print
Edition: 1/5
Dimension: 470 x 470 mm

 
Mikel Taylor

Mikel Taylor

21. Untitled

Price: $400
Media: Digital Lambda print
Edition: 1/5
Dimension: 470 x 470 mm

 
Mikel Taylor

Mikel Taylor

22. Untitled

Price: $680
Media: Digital Lambda print
Edition: 1/5
Dimension: 940 x 940 mm