Immersion in the abyss of the universe
through TANO’s artworks
By observing Tano’s works made by oil-charcoal and charcoal powder, one directly enters an endless, different, unfamiliar world view.
The sense of movement comes from a black and white dipole. Spiral movements appear, evolve and stream on the paper changing their direction like a transfiguring force. A universe made of fuzzy swirling and concrete lines spreads to infinity. The underline logic is given by diagrams and mathematical equations that describe this bizarre reality, where all elements are assimilated. The oil — charcoal is the only mean used for showing the solid forms. Particles, shapes, geometrical structures dominate the artist universe and bow to the eternal movement. The eye gets used to the continuously alternation of the matter between compression and decompression, materiality and dematerialization. By attempting to give form to his thoughts, the artist creates a new reality that bridges the internal abyss of the self and the external infinity.
This complication of forms, imprints and symbolisms reminds of the Yves Klein’s Monochromes. In Tano’s œuvres the black color is used as matter, while in the Klein’s Monochromes, the blue. Both through the Monochromes and Anthropometries, Yves Klein achieves to dematerialize the form and dedicates himself to an elusive art. In Tano’s works, the black color becomes dense and cores are created in order to occupy the space. Yves Klein begins a trajectory towards the internal core of the immense blue entity. In his works the void is identified with the sublime. Tano also creates a space, where the void constitutes an independent universe and follows a route to the spiritual immersion.
We are asked to enter a reality full of cores, omphalos and wombs. The artist passes from darkness to light, as the womb carries the new life. The omphalos are appeared in order to reset the multiple centers of the world. This universe is seemingly new, but the same time it goes backwards in antiquity. His œuvres roots in the universal consciousness, diverse religions, ancient civilizations and schools of thought.
Tano problematizes the sense of existence. He introduces a different language, where the thought, the science, the spiritual and philosophical traditions are not expressed through words, but via forms, symbols and flows.
Selected Bibliography:
- Yves Klein, Le Dépassement de la Problématique de l’Art et Autres Écrits, Marie-Anne Sichère et Didier Semin, Ecole Nationale Supérieure des Beaux-Arts, Paris
- Catalogue of the exhibition: Οn the Sublime: Mark Rothko, Yves Klein, James Turell, organized by Tracey Bashkoff, Deutsche Guggenheim, Berlin, 2001
Learn more about the artist here
- All images are courtesy of the artist.
- The text was written at the request of the artist in order to complete his portfolio.
