February 24th – March 8, 2012
The University of Tampa, Scarfone/Hartley Gallery
An exhibition by internationally acclaimed artist Robert Rahway Zakanitch that includes one of the five paintings from his Big Bungalow Suite (11’ x 30’) and other paintings from his collection not shown in Tampa before.
The public will have a unique opportunity to see the artist working on campus as he creates monoprints for the University of Tampa STUDIO-f visiting artist program February 13-24. The exhibition and completed monoprints will be on view through March 8.
About the Artist:
Robert Zakanitch was born 1935 in Elizabeth, New Jersey. Zakanitch began exhibiting in the late 1960s with Color Field paintings, but he first achieved real note as one of the founders of the Pattern & Decoration movement in the mid-’70s. When Zakanitch took up decorative imagery, he had been working as a Color Field abstractionist faithful to the Minimalist grid as the structural system of his painting. Once into decoration, he retained both his color sophistication and his respect for structure but translated the latter into a free, often organic floral motif rendered in painterly fashion.
Zakanitch created a series of monoprints 1991 and 2002 as visiting artist for the University of Tampa STUDIO-f program. He creates contrasting work of lush, exotic, botanicals of seemingly boundless imagery and continues to paint lush flowers, birds, animals and various decorations in his expressive manner. He views his work as positive: “I don’t want any dehumanization in my work. I am more interested in planting the seeds of healing and civility.”
