Teacher Guide:
Henry Taylor: B Side
Oct 4, 2023–Jan 28, 2024
The Whitney is delighted to introduce Henry Taylor: B Side, which surveys over thirty years of the career of the Los Angeles artist. It presents artworks in a variety of media including painting, drawing, sculpture, installation. The title “B Side,” or “flipside” as Taylor says, refers to the other side of a record album that often contains more experimental and unconventional music.
Taylor's subjects include family members, fellow artists, Los Angeles natives, and street scenes. He also depicts iconic political, athletic and musical figures, as well as current and historic images of racism and violence in the United States. His paintings and sculptures empathetically portray a nuanced and complex portrait of the lived experience.
This guide provides a framework for teachers to facilitate discussions from four main ideas drawn from artworks in the exhibition. It provides exploratory questions with suggested activities for the classroom inspired by the artist’s work.
We hope you and your students enjoy engaging with the artworks in Henry Taylor: B Side. For additional resources, please visit the exhibition page.
Henry Taylor, The Love of Cousin Tip, 2017. Acrylic on canvas, 70 1/8 x 96 ¼ x 2 1/8 in. (178 x 244.5 x 5.4 cm). ©️ Henry Taylor. Courtesy the artist and Hauser & Wirth. Photograph by Jeff McLane
