Paul Tamanian

Art Brokerage: Paul Tamanian American Artist: He came into ceramics relatively late in life, in his mid-thirties. After discovering clay, he rapidly gained basic skill and then began his technical innovations. From his first exhibition at a small gallery in the historic village of Havana, Florida in 1992, he has gone on to exhibit and sell works in prestigious galleries across the United States. Tamanian has been invited to show his works in the company of America's foremost artists and craftsmen, including William Morris, Jun Kaneko and Richard Jolly. His works have been commissioned and acquired by noted private and corporate collectors nationally. Paul Tamanian is an intrepid experimenter, beginning as a ceramist; he now works exclusively with metals. Always unique in his range of styles, his pieces demonstrate his evolution as an artist. An examination of his work over the past ten years reveals movement from small, slab built vases to larger organic forms, such as his highly successful "Tusks." His works became more sculptural rather than nominally utilitarian. The one constant over the years has been his emphasis on surface. As appealing as his shapes are, they serve primarily as "canvases" for a captivating variety of finishes…industrial fabric dyes, traditional glazes, automobile paints and odd assorted chemicals that alter texture and color, producing a constantly evolving collection of surfaces and styles.