Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland by Maggie Taylor is now open at the Harn

July 25, 2008

GAINESVILLE, Fla. — A provocative, new interpretation of a classic tale recently opened at the Harn Museum of Art entitled Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland by Maggie Taylor. It features 45 digital-inkjet prints illustrating Lewis Carroll’s famous work “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.”

The exhibit will be on display until Oct. 19. Following its debut at the Harn Museum of Art, the exhibition will travel nationally. A new edition of “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” featuring Taylor’s illustrations will be released in early August by Modern Books.

Related events include a lecture and book signing by the artist at 3 p.m. on Sept. 14 followed by a high-tea reception. Seating will be limited.

The prints on display are innovative in both content and technique. They are composite images that usually begin with an original photographic portrait from the mid-19th century. The artist then uses 21st century digital processes and Photoshop montage techniques to layer multiple images to create the final prints. Taylor’s radical manipulation of her source images, but retention of photographic realism, results in an ironic, visual surrealism that complements the verbal wit and irony of Carroll’s writing.

“Taylor’s surreal vision is ideally suited to depicting the fantasy world created by Carroll and is sure to challenge, delight and sometimes even disturb viewers both young and old who might have thought they knew Carroll’s classic story,” said Tom Southall, curator of photography.

University of Florida Library’s Baldwin Library of Historical Children’s Literature is lending a number of books, some almost 150 years old, that are related to Carroll’s novel. The books will be on display in the exhibition and in the Harn Museum of Art’s Bishop Study Center.

Almost Alice: New Illustrations of Wonderland is made possible by a gift from a generous donor with additional support provided by the Londono Family Endowment.

The artist, Maggie Taylor, lives in Gainesville and has a Master’s of Fine Arts (MFA) in photography from UF. Her work is in the collections of numerous museums including The Art Museum, Princeton University; The Fogg Art Museum, Harvard University; Harn Museum of Art, University of Florida; Museum of Fine Arts, Houston; Santa Barbara Museum of Art, California; and The Museum of Photography, Seoul.

Admission to the Harn Museum of Art is free. For more information call 352-392-9826 or visit