Taylor Bellwood

Taylor is  a mixed media visual artist currently studying Fine Art at Manchester Metropolitan University. She has a widely experimental approach which combines elements of textiles, photography and sculptural forms. Taylor often tie these mediums together using film projection and sound to create empowering, immersive installations. "For me, art is a form of healing and has acted as a tool of visible mending in helping me to come to terms with my own body. Subsequently, I am passionate about the voicing vulnerable experiences women share in their own bodies- in hope that by doing so others may see themselves in a new light".

July 2024 Exhibition

In My Skin Still 1.jpeg
In My Skin 2.jpeg
In My Skin 3.jpeg 
IN MY SKIN - VIDEO,  2024 
IN MY SKIN - VIDEO STILLS, £150 EACH, (29.7cm x 42 cm), Print on Photo Paper
" 'In My Skin' is a multi- dimensional immersive installation based on what it is like to live with a skin condition.  I have suffered with Eczema since birth however last year my journey took a turn for the worst as my skin spiralled beyond my control. I felt trapped in my own body and the only respite I found was by channelling the struggle into my work. Upon researching the topic of eczema in art I found very little results- further fuelling the necessity to shed light on the subject of skin. Subsequently, my practice transformed into a place of healing and acceptance in helping me come to terms with my condition. Upon engaging in conversations with tutors and my peers I came to realise that I was not alone in this struggle, as other people shared their untold stories with me. These transactions were truly enlightening as I became driven to facilitate discussions surrounding skin and raise awareness of underrepresented conditions within my practice.

The installation is made up of two fabric panels, two mixed media body casts and a film projection with sound. For the fabric panels I used a sublimation printing process to transfer raw images of my eczema onto a light- weight, transparent material; these are then suspended from the ceiling using clear fishing wire. For the two body casts I used contrasted mediums to represent the tactile variations of different skin conditions. The first one utilises plaster bandages which I then toned using natural dyes and embedded close up images of my skin within the surface. For the second body cast I manipulated liquid latex using thickening powder to create texture which replicates the aggravation of my own eczema beneath the skin- I then coated this with acrylic paint.

The video projection displays a short film played on a loop to represent the continuous cycle of scratching which I was trapped in. Its an intimate and vulnerable depiction of myself as I write down the emotions I dealt with onto my body which I then scratch off. The sound for the installation was taken from conversations I've had with others surrounding the struggles they've faced in their own skin. This retelling vulnerable of such experiences delivers the impactful message that everyone deserves to feel comfortable in their own skin."