Taylor Colimore
- Anna Lilli Garai
- Sep 26
- 4 min read
Taylor Elise Colimore is a multimedia artist based in Richmond, Virginia. Working with both digital tools and second-hand craft materials, she blends animation, sound, textiles, and video in a process that’s intuitive and hands-on. Her works often feature recurring textures like pink plaid and alphabet beads, chosen for their personal resonance and accessibility. Whether through glitch-heavy video edits or live-coded music performances, she embraces a playful, DIY approach that allows space for experimentation and self-definition. Her visual language is shaped by a mix of childhood memory, personal symbolism, and a commitment to making on her own terms.
Q: You mix digital tools with second-hand crafts and fibers. What excites you about pushing those worlds together?
A: I love the non-destructive nature of digital art, but also the hands-on tangibility of working with traditional craft materials. Glitch specifically, as a concept, pushes you to push the material. Editing photos in a digital audio workstation makes no sense, but is able to produce highly visually interesting results. I value this kind of “breaking the rules” experimentation highly in my creative process in both formats (digital and analog). Additionally, I am very interested in creating something through an analog process and then digitizing it to continue pushing the work and its medium.
I find the juxtaposition of the digital and analog, fiber texture vs. pixels, incredibly appealing and I plan to continue experimenting with this process specifically in my current work.
Q: Plaid, alphabet beads, and the color pink keep coming back in your work. Why do they feel so tied to you?
A: Pink is my favorite color and I resonate with a lot of its societal associations. Pink is often associated with femininity, which is another common topic in my work. I think my affinity to alphabet beads can be attributed to Rachel Burke, an Australian artist who I have been inspired by for many years.
She also uses many “crafty” materials in her fine artworks such as plastic beads, pipe cleaners, glitter glue, rhinestones, melty beads, and more. I really enjoy these materials as well. They can often be bought second-hand or, if not, at a relatively low cost, allowing me to not feel like I have to be precious with these materials. This is a reason why I am also drawn to digital artwork because you can make unlimited copies of what you are working on and it is infinite and non-destructive.
There is also whimsicality I experience using materials like the alphabet beads. It’s very playful and cheery. It makes creating fun! And I like the challenge of transforming these materials into something that could be considered fine art.
As for plaid, whenever I go to the thrift store, I always have my eyes peeled for pink plaid clothing. Often it is found in the little girls’ section or the pajama section. Once I have collected these garments, I tediously seam rip the entire garment and then cut it into 8-inch long strips with varying widths. Then I am able to use quilting techniques to reassemble the strips into a workable textile for clothing or sculptural objects. Conceptually, I really feel that the pink plaid pattern is reflective of me. I resonate greatly with pink plaid. The nature of the fabric being second-hand is also reflective of the majority of my personal wardrobe made up of mostly second-hand pieces. These two aspects in combination feel very authentic to myself and I think that is why I am so drawn to using this material in my works.
Q: You’ve described your work as unapologetic, even “obnoxious.” How does that attitude shape what you make?
A: When I make work, I make work for myself rather than for an audience. Although I may intend to share the work, by focusing on making something for myself, it allows me to be unapologetic in my decision making during production. I also enjoy making work that is bold, confrontational, and even obnoxious. This feels true to my desire to express myself authentically, but also in a way that might elicit a reaction from a viewer.
Q: Live-coding music is central in your performances. What keeps you drawn to that way of making sound?
A: I really enjoy the highly experimental nature of live-coding music. I can easily get lost coding for multiple hours in my headphones creating a new loop for a song I am working on. I also think it is a very convenient way to create music; all I need is my computer. I also really enjoy that you can almost collaborate with the computer in live coding. All the randomization feels as though I am passing off a task to the computer and it is really neat to see what the computer might spit back out!
Q: Your process is low-stakes and intuitive. How do you decide when something is finished?
A: I don’t find that I have a difficult time finishing pieces. I also think that social media plays a role in helping me complete work. I am usually pretty quick to share what I am up to creatively on my Instagram and in order for me to share a new work it needs to be completed. I try to keep a steady routine of inspiration to creation to sharing the work, so that I can feel like a work is complete and I can move on to making something else. I also try to have a balance of working on short-term projects at the same time as more long-term projects.
Q: Much of your practice rewrites restrictions from childhood. How do you see that history shaping what you do now?
A: In my adult life, I have a feeling of freedom when it comes to how I choose to present myself and outwardly express myself. This was something I always attempted to do as a child, but it was still always within the limits of a dress code. I have created an environment, in my adult life, that supports my authentic expression and fosters creativity. From the people I surround myself with, the city I live in, and the setup of my home; I have curated an atmosphere that sets me up for success.
