Life & Work with Matthew Taylor-Winch of West Hollywood

Today we’d like to introduce you to Matthew Taylor-Winch.

Hi Matthew, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
Artist, Photographer, Bookmaker, and now Book Dealer. Originally from Sydney Australia I’ve lived in Los Angeles for almost seven years. I work for Leica overseeing the store and gallery in West Hollywood and have in the past year started a rare art and photography bookstore called Auto Books which is based out of the trunk of my ’84 380SL Mercedes Benz. Auto Books was born out of the idea of a movable bookstore aimed at connecting people with rare and unique books. I found when looking for books all over the world I’d always remember amazing book sellers who’d introduce me to books, publishers and artists I might never have known had i just purchased it online. I feel in some way i felt like i took that idea and put it into the concept of Auto Books. This has evolved to working with galleries and curating personal libraires for clients, which is really creatively satisfying and personally rewarding.

I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
The road goes on forever.  I think I’ve learnt that there isn’t an end to creativity, you have to keep going. Living in LA i’m around a lot of inspiring artists and I’ve had the opportunity to work closely with a lot of people who are in their respective creative fields, very “successful”. The thing they’ve taught me is be true to what you like, don’t make art to please people. I think you have to be genuine, if you approach your work with the idea that you want to do it for yourself and that makes you happy, you’ll find your audience and community.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My art practice revolves around image and book making. I’ve documented my life, family and friends for 20 plus years with dedication, maybe even longer. This, like a lot of my peers, evolved from zine making and sharing. From that I’ve made books, and I gain the most personal satisfaction from this medium. I’ve had opportunity to exhibit both here in the United States and home in Australia. Working for Leica, I’ve had great opportunity to travel a lot and work with artists all over the world. Finding inspiration and new friends really fuels my practice and keeps me motivated.

Can you tell us more about what you were like growing up?
For lack of a better word, interested. I’ve always been interested in art, interested in photography, interested in books and interested in what I can make. This has only grown exponentially with time. Being competitive with and encouraged by a creative father I found this really pushed me, and made me aware of this talent. I think as a kid you’re encouraged to experiment, luckily that instinct still persists.

Contact Info:

• Website: aut0books.com
• Instagram: @thesonofbob @aut0books

Image Credits
All Artwork & Photographs Matthew Taylor Winch