Opening this Friday, October 25 at 6pm, Bill Lowe Gallery on Miami Circle will be presenting a series of complex works by famed artist Bernie Taupin. Most widely known as the lyricist behind many of Elton John’s greatest hits, Taupin’s visual assemblages combine themes of Americana, the irreverence of street art, and music.
In 2010 Taupin began showcasing and selling his visual artwork, attributing a love for art to his mother Daphne. As an English-born artist who has been infused in American culture since he first moved stateside 20 years ago, his assemblages incorporate guitars, American flags, chicken wire, clippings from advertisements, and wrappers from popular food and beverages. Thematic applications of phrases, lyrics, and anecdotal stories add an element of context to the partially destructed and constrained elements of American pride evident in these pieces.
Originally from London, Taupin forged a friendship and ongoing collaboration with Elton John in 1967 when they both replied to an advertisement seeking songwriters by Liberty Records. In the years since, Taupin has been recognized for his collaborations with John on songs such as “Rocket Man,” “Tiny Dancer,” “Candle in the Wind,” “Bennie and the Jets,” “Goodbye Yellow Brick Road,” and many others.
The October 25 show is timed to coincide with the final performance of Elton John’s “Fairwell Yellow Brick Road” tour which will take place in Atlanta on November 1st and 2nd. The opening reception takes place from 6pm to 9pm, and the show will be on display through the end of November.
