This publication focuses on two bodies of work by Al Taylor, Pass the Peas and Can Studys. Although distinctly individual, both of these series examine Taylor’s ongoing explorations of the circle. Instigated by curiosity, the artist studies the inside and outside of circular shapes and investigates their multi-dimensional possibilities. Taylor playfully explores these permutations in his Pass the Peas series from 1991—92. In addition to completing an array of drawings, he used tubular materials such as hula-hoops, garden hose, and plastic-coated cable to create three-dimensional spirals and coils, interlocking loops, and dissected circles that were mounted on the wall, left freestanding, or hung by wires from the ceiling to activate changing perspectives. The artist’s investigations into the infinite possibilities of a circle were further pursued during 1993 in his Can Studys series, when he expanded his “research” by exploring the play of light that would theoretically be reflected off of the exterior—or projected out of the interior of cylindrical forms.

This catalogue is published on the occasion of the exhibition Al Taylor: Pass the Peas and Can Studys which took place at David Zwirner, New York, from 7 September to 27 October 2012.