Karen T. Taylor Reveals Why Art Helps Solve Crimes

Forensic artist Karen T. Taylor recently explained why art is an important factor in crime scene investigation.

"There’s the whole realm of composite drawing to identify a suspect, which is psychology in conjunction with art. There’s the manipulation of photographs to show child age progressions or fugitive updates and also just assessment and comparison of photographic images. This is something that facial identification people in the UK are getting into more and more, often because of the volume of video surveillance," she told CSI: The Official DVD Collection.

With two decades of experience as a forensic artist, Taylor was a natural fit for CSI. When David Berman (David Phillips) called her to ask if she would help with the show, she didn't hesitate. "I was contacted before the first show aired, so I’ve been on board from day one. I feel a real kinship with the show and have developed some great friendships. [...] I hadn’t heard of CSI. No-one had at that time! I just liked David Berman and I felt he was very sincere and intelligent and a decent young man. It was really down to his approach and his genuine kindness."

Taylor added she isn't bothered when people question the show's realism. "People tease about CSI, say ‘Oh they can do anything in less than an hour’, but they are intriguing stories and it is Hollywood – they do have to compress things. Take it for what it is. I watch with interest how the various forensic specialists at conferences comment about the show. Some like to be critical and others appreciate the good things. It’s human nature."

To read the full interview, go to CSI: The Official DVD Collection. For more information on Karen T. Taylor, visit her official site.

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