A.K.A. PSYCHOPOMP

cadet capela is pleased to present A.K.A. PSYCHOPOMP, Bill Saylor’s second solo exhibition in Paris, two years after The Freaks Are Stealing Our Sunshine, the inaugural show of the gallery’s second space. In this new series of oil paintings and previously unseen drawings, the artist unveils a universe where the raw, vibrant energy of the contemporary world comes alive. These works explore universal and contemporary themes, echoing the magic of the earth and life while revealing compelling surfaces and textures.

Bill Saylor delves into a pantheon of fantastical creatures and timeless symbols that engage in dialogue with ancient mythologies and current ecological issues. Central to the exhibition are three reapers with double skull heads, described as “less ominus more democratic.” Having featured in Saylor’s paper-based practice for over two decades, these figures make their debut on canvas, marking a pivotal shift in his artistic journey. Heralds of the passage to another world, these reapers resonate clearly with the exhibition’s title and, conjecturally, with ecological transitions.

Alongside these powerful figures, four majestic cobras also hold a significant presence. One of them, fused with the burning sun evoking the heatwave of summer 2024 in the United States, embodies the weight of climate change, while another, chimeric, sports a dolphin’s tail, symbolizing the interconnectedness of species. These serpents, alternately healers and harbingers of chaos, reflect the duality of nature and its constant metamorphoses.

For Saylor, painting is instinctive, physical, visceral. The artist works directly on the floor, using unprimed canvases or patched fabrics, initiating his compositions with explosive, spontaneous gestures. Energy drives the early stages, in an initial chaos from which images and symbols gradually emerge. His techniques mirror this raw approach: oil paint is diluted, splashed, or squeezed directly from the tube, while charcoal is employed to sketch vigorous contours. Fragmented drawings accumulated in his studio serve as starting points for works where every element interlocks, erasing distinctions between background and form.

With A.K.A. PSYCHOPOMP, Bill Saylor reaffirms his essential presence on the contemporary art scene. He offers viewers an immersive experience into a vibrant, poetic universe where opposing forces—life and destruction, chaos and order—collide and transform. Each work becomes a space for reflection, revealing the deep and intricate connections between humanity, nature, and time.

Born in 1960, Saylor (lives and works in New York) has exhibited at Magenta Plains (New York, USA), Leo Koenig Inc. (New York, USA), The Journal Gallery (Brooklyn, USA), Loyal Gallery (Stockholm, SE), Duck Creek Arts Center (East Hampton, USA), and the Chinati Foundation (Marfa, USA), among others. Saylor has also participated in group exhibitions at the Brant Foundation (Greenwich, USA), Yerba Buena Art Center (San Francisco, USA), and Colby College Museum of Art (Waterville, USA).