broad daylight (Tricia Malley and Ross Gillespie)

Josh Taylor (b. 1991)

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About this artwork

In 2021 boxer Josh Taylor – The Tartan Tornado – became the undisputed world light-welterweight champion. He’s the second Scot, after Ken Buchanan in 1971, to have attained this feat: holding world titles from the major boxing sanctioning organisations simultaneously. Born in Prestonpans, East Lothian, Taylor was a junior taekwondo champion and took up boxing at 15. Following success at the Commonwealth Games, including gold at Glasgow in 2014, he turned professional in 2015. This portrait depicts Taylor in Lochend Boxing Club, Edinburgh where he trained with his first coach Terry McCormack. Here, he met Buchanan who inspired him towards the dedication required to reach the highest level of the sport. This diptych portrait by broad daylight presents Taylor in a contemplative pose while also directly acknowledging the physical and mental demands required for elite sports performance.

Published January 2023

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broad daylight (Tricia Malley and Ross Gillespie)

broad daylight (Tricia Malley and Ross Gillespie)