Robert Tavani

Robert Tavani drew incessantly as a child and at art school in the 1980's he became aware of his ability to "paint". The '80's art world, including music and performance, was big, bold, pluralistic and celebratory. It was a great time to be an art student because there was so much the professors hated! That strong reaction inspired much meaningful discussion.

Now, he makes the best paintings he can by assembling a variety of visual cues and processes. He attempts to steer his painting process yet realizes if he is truly engaged the painting itself has a hand on the steering wheel. "Realizing the inspiration for the painting may not be most important. To me, what matters most is the visual affect the painting has on the viewer," he stated.

As I paint, I try to make things as interesting as possible. If a painting seems ordinary or boring I do something more, maybe something radical, to shake things up. I imagine, "What would a viewer think of this painting?"

My paintings on canvas epitomize two of my loves: process and craft. Visually, they might remind you of Op Art, Abstract Expressionism, early modernism or process oriented movements. And yet, my paintings have a glass-like surface which contributes to their brightness, cr...

MA University of Illinois at Chicago
MFA The Ohio State University
BFA Columbus College of Art and Design

He has exhibited his work at the Contemporary Art Center, Cincinnati; Thread Waxing Space, New York; The Columbus Museum of Art; Ten In One Gallery; Struve Gallery and many other venues in Chicago and Columbus. He is recipient of Best of Show awards by the Ohio Art League and the Hyde Park Art Center, Chicago.