Biography
Guy Taplin (b. Whitechapel, London, UK 1939) moved to Hereford during WW2 and became fascinated by birds. After the war his jobs in London included Post Office messenger, postman, ladies’ hairdresser, meat porter, lifeguard, doing National Service in Cyprus and later involved in fashion industry. Taplin began carving woodland birds, based on American decoys, when working in Regent’s Park, London as a labourer and gardener. He was represented by the Portland Gallery and featured in Crafts and other magazines and on television and began to sculpt professionally, using driftwood as his material that he found on the beach neasr his home in Wivenhoe, Essex. His later solo shows included The Gallery in Cork Street and London Zoo (both 1999), organised by Csáky Art, Sonning, and in 2002 and 2004 Courcoux Contemporary Art Ltd, Stockbridge. Taplin held a show with David Messum Fine Art in 2001 and the Messum’s Gallery show in 2005 was accompanied by a well-illustrated catalogue.
