A traumatic motorcycle crash might not seem like the most inspiring event for an artist to create something whimsical or cartoonish. But for La Jolla native Taylor Dunfee, the time he has spent in recovery provided him time and space to make new art.
Dunfee has been named the La Jolla Art & Wine Festival Artist of the Year and plans to display his works at the festival Oct. 11-12.
Dunfee, a photographer for 20 years and a burgeoning tattoo artist, was riding his motorcycle down La Jolla Boulevard in early January when he was in an accident that left him with a fractured femur and shattered femoral head, which connects the upper leg bone to the pelvis.
“I had to have my femur basically rebuilt, so the recovery process was slow,” he said. “I didn’t do much at first, which was really hard, but as soon as I could sit up without being in pain, I needed something to do. So I started to read and draw again.”
Dunfee, who had occasionally drawn as a therapy tool, was looking to escape his present reality. Unable to take photos or ink tattoos, he focused on creating new drawings that focused on the silly and the surreal.
“I was in a position where I could put time and effort into it,” he said. “The art itself comes from me tapping into my childhood and my whole life. I really get to have fun with these things. I like drawing animals as well, so many of the works have a childish look but a theme of coming from an adult. The recent work is through the eyes of a 5-year-old.”
For example, he said, one piece features an outstretched arm with an owl on the hand, a hot-air balloon with people falling out and a bull on the ground.
“We have all these things happening around us and we are so oversensitized from the moment we wake up until we go to sleep,” Dunfee said. “So this was my subconscious showing me there is chaos, but the owl is looking out of frame at whoever is pointing and giving a nod as if to say ‘You know what to do.’ It’s whimsical and funny, cartoony and fun, but with the message of trusting your heart and your instincts.”
Dunfee said he wants people who view those works “to lose themselves in … a bit of escapism,” because “that’s what these pieces were during my injury and recovery. I wanted to create these worlds that touch emotional parts and get us out of our world for a minute.”
Dunfee attended school in La Jolla during his childhood, including La Jolla High, and now lives in South Park. He still is slowly recovering from his injury and walks with a cane.
But, he said, “it has been one of the best things for me mentally, because I’m producing art and am happier for it. I’m at my best when I’m coming up with these ideas. … Emotions go up and down, and I thought I would be done by now, so these drawings are the glimmers of light for me. I would finish a piece and be so excited. It’s such a fire for me.”
Dunfee said he is looking for a gallery space to present his art to a broader audience. To view his works, visit instagram.com/tsdvision. ♦
