The cozy Upstream Gallery in Hastings-on-Hudson was packed with art enthusiasts, fellow artists, musicians, and various other creatives on a chilly, blustery November night. The crowd gathered together for the November 14th opening reception of Seán Taggart’s Tribulation, on display through December 7th.
Taggart’s impressive resume includes creating art and cartooning for Topps trading cards, DC Comics, the Jerky Boys, and album art for many notable punk and hardcore bands. His art, currently on display in the exhibit, comprises several pieces from his “Tapestries of Terror” series, which utilize a minimal palette of black, white, yellow, and red on large kraft paper to create vivid depictions that serve as political and cultural commentary.
At the centerpiece is Taggart’s pièce de résistance: Altar for the End of Days, an imposing 6 ft x 12 ft piece that Taggart sees, per the Gallery’s website, “as a prediction, a warning, and an expression of anger.”
When I visited Taggart’s studio in the YoHo Artist Studios earlier this year, I had the privilege of seeing Alter for the End of Days in progress. Taggart has worked on this particular piece for about four years, and its completion and display mark significance in not only its size but also the time spent and the challenges Taggart experienced in its creation.
Tribulation speaks to more than just a commentary on national and global affairs, but personal experiences as well. Regarding the gallery, Taggart had this to say: “Four years, three studios, one pandemic, one flood, and stage 3 esophageal cancer.”
Despite the hurdles it took to get here, Sean’s positive and, as he self-describes, goofy demeanor serves not just as a contrast to the art but a reminder of strength and perseverance through times of uncertainty.
Tribulation is on display at the Upstream Gallery at 8 Main St, Hastings on Hudson, NY, through December 7th. The gallery is open Wed – Sun.
