Pen & Paper: Taylor-Ruth of Hanging Rock Comics for Levi's Station to Station

As a partner to the recent public art project, Station to Station – made possible by Levi’s® – we had the good fortune of joining creative personas from all walks of life on a train across the United States. The moving art project was a haven for collaborations as the different cars on the train provided the tools and atmosphere to facilitate collaboration. We got a chance to meet with Taylor-Ruth, a talented youngster whose charismatic style is not only reflected in her illustrations, but also in her candid approach in her witty captions and storyboards. Hailing from Indiana, much of Taylor’s work can be found on her Tumblr Hanging Rock Comics — named after her first crush with celebrity blogger turned Tavi Gevinson — which focuses heavily on her own interactions and ’80s post-punk bands. In a departure from the standard Pen & Paper layout, we look at Taylor’s train cabin walls as canvas. The artwork on display sees a mixture of old and new work narrating her own journey, from peculiar run-ins with the school shrink, to self-deprecating pieces based on her everyday encounters. Taylor-Ruth’s impromptu drawings do little to filter out her thoughts, instead presenting a collection that’s simultaneously dark and comical but undeniably honest. Taylor-Ruth is set to kick-start a tenure with Rookie Magazine – be sure to keep an eye out for her illustrations, and in the meantime head over to her Tumblr for more captivating doodles.

Station to Station, a public art project made possible by Levi’s®, spanned the month of September across the United States. Setting forth as an initiative to help push the boundaries of creativity and discovery through various pillars of culture including music, art, food and film, the project itself was manifested via a physical train that traversed from East to West. Continue onwards and join the public art project at levi.com/makeourmark to make your mark on the future.