Heather Taylor, gallerist and owner of Taylor de Cordoba in Culver City and blogger extraordinaire, is a woman on the go to say the least.  Her gallery is best known for its intimate space, innovative program, and collaborative events, such as Eating Our Words.

Heather outside Taylor de Cordoba, PHOTO CREDIT: Alex de Cordoba

The gallery is home to both established and up-and-coming artists, and is an inviting space for art lovers and novices alike.  Much like the gallery she has cultivated, Heather’s home is a place of particular peace and beauty.  Art hangs against earth-toned walls and amongst beautiful textiles and vignettes of cozy collectibles.

I sat down with Heather to find out the back-stories behind some of her favorite art that hangs in her own personal space. - Ellen Caldwell, LA Contributor

Ellen Caldwell: Walking into your house, one of the first things visitors see is your Chris Natrop cutout – and it is one of the most dramatic, stand-out pieces.  Can you tell me about its history in your home? 

Heather Taylor:  We included this piece in the second exhibit we ever hosted at Taylor De Cordoba, when we opened to the public in 2006. Chris is one of those artists who ignited my excitement for the LA art scene back when we were opening the gallery, so I knew I wanted to include one of his pieces in our personal collection.

Chris Natrop, black black butterfly sparkle bomb, 2006, PHOTO CREDIT: Alex de Cordoba

The beauty and intensity of these hand-cut black paper pieces took my breath away. For me, this piece is a collision of the natural world and the industrialized world. And when I see it, now hanging in our dining room essentially the centerpiece of our house, I can see Chris' imagination.

EC: And your Muybridge photographs are really fabulous.

Eadweard Muybridge, Animal Locomotion, c. 1878, PHOTO CREDIT: Ellen C. Caldwell

HT: I purchased one of these pieces (the other was a gift) from Laurence Miller Gallery in New York, while working there as a gallery assistant just after graduating from college. I had just spent a good part of four years studying art history and now I had the opportunity not only to see many iconic photographs in person, but I was able to touch them and spend time with them at the gallery.  These pieces remind me of the formative two years I spent in New York, learning about and working in the art world.

Eadweard Muybridge, Animal Locomotion, Detail, c. 1878, PHOTO CREDIT: Ellen C. Caldwell

Eadweard Muybridge, Animal Locomotion, Detail, c. 1878, PHOTO CREDIT: Ellen C. Caldwell

EC: It’s great that you have a matching pair, and that you were given one at such an early and formative point in your career.  I’m sure it remains a meaningful part of your collection…

HT: The historical significance of Muybridge's project is never lost on me. His high-speed stop-motion photography captured subjects literally in motion and set the state for motion pictures as we know them today.

EC: What do you think is the most personal piece of art you own?

HT: Frohawk Two-Feathers gave us this portrait of us as our wedding gift and it now lives in our bedroom. In his classic style, he has fashioned us as fictionalized historical characters, painted graphically on hand-stretched hide. I loved it the moment I saw it and I predict that more than any photograph the wedding, I will view this as our wedding portrait.

Frohawk Two Feathers, Francis III & Magda In The Glory Days Before Capture, 2011, PHOTO CREDIT: Alex de Cordoba

EC:  And what about your most recently acquired artwork? 

HT: We brought this Kyle Field piece to the house from the gallery for a recent photoshoot and now I have fallen in love with it.

Kyle's work is sensitive, funny and poignant, not to mention visually complicated and beautiful. The piece is dense with graphic detail (classic Kyle Field), while also telling a fanciful narrative. I truly look at it and see the artist's hand.

Kyle Field, Untilted 2008, PHOTO CREDIT: Alex de Cordoba

EC: Can you tell me about this little gem in your hallway?  It’s so different than your other pieces…

HT: That’s by Ruby Osorio.  We bought this piece from one of our favorite galleries, Cherry and Martin, and I can vividly recall looking through the flat files and selecting our favorite. I reacted to the quiet beauty of this piece and the combination of thread and paper.

Ruby Osorio, 2006, PHOTO CREDIT: Ellen C. Caldwell

EC: It’s really gorgeous. And I love hearing about your insight and motivations behind your personal art collection.  Does purchasing for your home differ drastically from your process at the gallery? 

HT: When buying artwork for our personal collection, my approach is more emotional than it is when I am developing our gallery program. To purchase a piece, I need to almost fall in love with it and want to coexist with it on a daily basis. At the gallery, we are always trying to elevate the level of dialogue in a way that feels relevant, current and particular to Taylor De Cordoba. We are thinking about our audience and supporters - we want to meet, exceed and ultimately challenge their expectations.

Heather’s bedroom, PHOTO CREDIT: Heather Taylor

Heather’s home office, PHOTO CREDIT: Heather Taylor

Heather’s living room detail, PHOTO CREDIT: Ellen C. Caldwell

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Heather Taylor is the owner and director of Taylor de Cordoba, in addition to being a long-time contributor to publications such as Daily Candy, LA Confidential, Martha Stewart Weddings, and the Huffington Post, where she writes her column "Chef Speak," featuring LA's chefs of the moment.  Her blog LA in Bloom is a go-to for the aspirational and inspirational.

Ellen C. Caldwell is an LA-based art historian, editor, and writer.