Artist(s): Joe Taylor
Venue: The Palace Gallery, Ellensburg
Opening Reception: , –
Exhibition Dates: 2026-06-05 – 2026-06-27
Website: https://www.thepalacegallery.com/#/

“The Imagination of Respiration began with the realization that I understand very little about how my body transforms oxygen into carbon dioxide through the simple act of breathing. In an effort to move closer to this phenomenon, I approached the subject through multiple modes of investigation. One involved closely studying the microscopic systems responsible for exchanging gases within the bloodstream. Another focused on the larger biological structures involved in respiration such as the lungs, organs, and interconnected systems that sustain us. The third approach was experiential, as I was paying attention to the emotional and physical sensation of breathing itself.
Each perspective offered a different pathway into understanding respiration and the unseen complexity contained within an action so constant it often escapes notice. Rather than arriving at a clear conclusion, the process led to a body of work that encourages viewers to make their own investigation and interpretation through sculptural form, texture, scale, and spatial relationships.
The exhibition centers on wonder, and on the possibility that closely observing ordinary experiences can reveal something profound. The sculptures move between references to the body and the landscape, drawing visual parallels between internal biological systems and geological formations. Erosion lines resemble branching bronchioles, while rounded and weathered forms echo both internal organs and stone shaped slowly over time. These similarities suggest an intimate connection between our bodies and the environments we inhabit, blurring distinctions between the human and the natural world.
Equally important to the exhibition is an investment in curiosity as a method of learning. After fifteen years as an educator, I continue to believe that risk-taking, experimentation, and failure are essential tools for discovery. Throughout the creation of this work, I relied on an intuitive process of making first and understanding later. Research, observation, and material exploration intertwined with instinct and play. The sculptures often revealed their meanings gradually, emerging through the physical process of building, carving, and responding. The plan remained flexible, the process intentional, and the final forms became discoveries in themselves.”
-Joe Taylor.

The Palace Gallery is free and open to the public 12pm-4pm every Saturday and the First Friday of every month from 4-8pm.