We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Chris Tait (Tayt Modern) a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Chris, thanks for joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I always new it. I excelled within visual arts in High School and attended Emily Carr pre college arts courses. By the time I had graduated, I became somewhat cynical about visual art and found myself playing music. I had many adventures gigging around London and the West Coast of Canada and the US, until I found myself at a real crossroads… there was a serious collapse within my life and I had no idea where I was headed. I picked up the paint brush and a familiar voice spoke “Yes, this is where you belong. This is where you’ve always belonged. Paint. Trust me”. I was home at last.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I grew up in a family of Artists, my mother was an art therapist working with Alzheimer’s patients and my father was a graphic design professor. When I was 5 years old, I marvelled at the details in the paintings of Howard Pyle and Frank Frazetta. I remember my father insisting that one of the Pyle paintings was not a photograph and that I could accomplish the same effects with paint and practice. Many art courses and years of practice later, I could execute what I wanted but took a break and I focussed on playing music and almost never picked up the brush for maybe 20 years. And then I did. It was magic. An intuition and a maturity had developed as a creative person. I felt a guiding force; an “Art God” pulling me deep into the work. I posted my work online and found an overwhelmingly positive response. I made a serious commitment to live according to the guidance of this spirit. Teaching art classes at a Detox for 8 years further developed my experience of artwork as a therapeutic force.
Spending some serious time in Los Angeles and London I had a mission to absorb all I could from the important works of art in the local Galleries. Expression. This was what excited me. I can illustrate, but I need to express. I stood in front of a Tate Modern art gallery T-shirt and I thought “I’m Tate Modern” and I laughed out loud. But then I thought “why not? I am a Tait, and if I spell it Tayt Modern, one’s Google search will easily find me.” So I started signing my paintings Tayt Modern.
Commissioned work has involved good conversation about what it is that each client is looking for. I have visited client homes in order to understand the color field of the room the piece will be hanging in. Good photos are helpful.
I work mostly on pieces for myself and they are all for sale. An ongoing series is of angry dogs. The brush strokes are violent and the colors are loud. One is titled Man’s Best Friend. Dogs are adored, but at times we encounter unpredictable ferociousness and these paintings represent a side of people with their hidden emotions. I absolutely love working on this series and I am truly grateful that clients have hung them in their homes.
My website Taytmodern.com is up and running and soon I will have prints available. Originals are currently available too. Follow me on instagram under Tayt Modern. I am looking forward to starting some work with Artist Guild of America

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to unlearn the idea that one must reinvent the wheel. I had picked up the messages in my youth that the only hope for making a living as a painter was to break the mold and come up with something like cubism. My thoughts were grabbing ahold of one aspect of art history, and ignoring the truth that important works of art can be just as relevant and meaningful without turning it all upside down. As I spent time away from working in paint, friends of mine made beautiful pieces that filled me with inspiration – and their work sold. One of my favourite quotes from Worhol: “Don’t think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it’s good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art”.

Can you share a story from your journey that illustrates your resilience?

I have lived and worked in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside for over 23 years. It is a community of open addiction and extreme poverty. I’ve known thousands of people who care, and I’ve seen thousands of people die. There’s love and there’s violence. I currently work in a mental health care centre on the overnight shift. After I administer medications and clean up, I work all night on my paintings. There was a time when I thought I could not go on working in the Mental Healthcare field, but I found an unusually quiet shift that has helped my discipline. I love my job, and I love to paint.

Contact Info:

• Website: taytmodern.com
• Instagram: Tayt Modern
• Facebook: Tayt Chris

Image Credits
Photos of Artwork by me, Tayt Modern.