Robert Mann Gallery Opens Paulette Tavormina's First Exhibition Today

Robert Mann Gallery previously announced the representation of Paulette Tavormina.

Tavormina is known for her lavish still life photographs that recall the exquisite detail of seventeenth century Old Master paintings - drawing inspiration from artists including Francisco de Zurbaran, Adriaen Coorte and Giovanna Garzoni to name a few.

An avid collector of objects such as butterflies and insects, shells, dried flowers, dishes and glasses, the sourcing of props is a crucial part of her process. Each object evokes the memory of the place it was discovered - fresh produce from a New York City farmer's market, horseshoe crabs tossed ashore in Nantucket, ladybugs found at a taxidermy shop in Paris. Not only do these objects look to the art historical roots of the genre of the still life, but their meaning is often multi-layered, a fig perhaps referring to the artist's own Sicilian heritage.

Largely self-taught, Tavormina's mastery of the technique is no small feat - her "sets" can take anywhere between three days to a week to perfect. The resulting prints are remarkably delicate and soft in appearance. This beautiful work seems to straddle both 21st century technology and 17th century Old Master influences.

Tavormina has been exhibited internationally and was the 2010 winner of the Grand Prix at the International Culinaire Photography Festival in Paris. Her work has been featured in several publications including The New York Times, The Boston Globe, L'Express, Martha Stewart Living and Photo Technique magazine. She lives and works in New York City.

Paulette Tavormina's first solo show at Robert Mann Gallery will open today, January 17, 2013. For additional images and information, visit the website at www.robertmann.com.

Robert Mann Gallery is located at 525 West 26th Street, New York, NY (between 10th & 11th Avenues). Call 212.989.7600 or email 'mail@robertmann.com' for more information. Hours: Tuesday-Friday 10am-6pm, Saturday 11am-6pm.

Artwork: Yellow Cherries and Crab Apples, after G.G., 2011.