Artist Bio

Emilee Taxman (b. 1997) is an artist and printmaker best known for their interactive letterpress printed books and broadsides. Their work explores major life changes that influence identity and ideas of the future, primarily through the lenses of mental illness and transgender experiences. Taxman has worked at Distinctive Bookbinding, Center for Book Arts, and San Francisco Center for the Book, and received the Hamilton Wayzgoose Academic Merit Scholarship in 2022. Their books are in library special collections across the country, including in Yale University’s Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library and the University of Iowa’s main library. They recently completed their first solo exhibition, “Bound,”  exploring combinations of book art and installation. They are currently pursuing their M.F.A. in Studio Art at the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Statement

My art is an exploration of emotion: my own, those of the people I am close to, and those of the communities I belong to. I use my books and prints to illuminate frequently underrepresented subjects. I explore the subtleties of how people think, feel, remember, or identify, drawing on major life changes that influence identity and ideas of the future. In navigating these subjects, I engage in a deeper form of self-expression. I represent my thoughts, my fears, the emotions that keep me up at night. 

I believe in the power of words, and I find that their power is more effective when connected with a multi-sensorial experience. To engage the senses, I work with poetry and word placement in order to guide the viewer’s eyes in a natural flow around the page. I use bright colors and varied levels of visual noise to create an immersive experience for the viewer. The form of the book itself reflects my conceptual framework: it is both time-based and interactive. Reading a book is an intimate experience, a connection made between the piece and the viewer as they flip from page to page. To truly experience the book demands lingering and the touch of a hand. When I turn the handle of the letterpress, printing the words onto the page, I forge a physical connection with the work that I seek to pass on to the viewer. Letterpress doesn’t have the precision of a digital printer, but it has a physicality, a tangible presence. I choose imperfection because people are flawed, and I want my work to feel human. 

I seek to push the boundaries of the codex. Through pop-ups, fold-outs, and varied book structures, I explore what a book can be. I use elements that encourage interactivity, elements that are activated by the viewer’s touch. When a reader is able to directly interact with a book, an interpersonal connection is created between the narrator and the viewer. Furthermore, through pairing the books with installations, I create the environment for my books to be viewed in. I want to create an all-encompassing experience, one that will inspire the viewer to engage with a new perspective on the world.