Robert Rahway Zakanitch was born in New Jersey in 1935 and studied at the Newark School of Industrial and Fine Arts working as a commercial artist for a New York–based advertising company. After leaving the commercial arts world in the mid 1960s, Zakanitch worked in an Abstract Expressionist style. While he retained some of the spontaneous, gestural qualities of this style, his later work, like that produced at Tyler Graphics, became more representational.
Flowers are a common motif in Zakanitch’s work and between 1979 and 1981 he created several exuberant series with a floral focus. His Paper pulp series of 1981 consists of 23 unique works created by applying pulps and dyes to specially constructed moulds.
Emilie Owens
1935
Born in Elizabeth, New Jersey, United States of America
1954–57
Attends Newark School of Fine and Industrial Arts, New Jersey
1958–62
Commercial artist for D'Arcy Advertising Corporation, New York City, New York
1962
Leaves advertising to paint full-time; works in Abstract Expressionist style
1965
First solo exhibition, at Henri Gallery, Alexandria, Virginia
1967
Included in Annual exhibition, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City
1970
Receives Creative Artist Public Service grant
1973
Included in The way of color, Corcoran Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
1975
Meets with artists Joyce Kozloff, Robert Kushner and Miriam Schapiro to discuss the issue of decoration in painting
1976
Visiting Artist, Art Institute of Chicago; included in exhibition, About Decoration, at Alessandra Gallery, New York City
1977
Completes screenprint Untitled, published by HKL/Ltd., Boston; Visiting Artist, Art Institute of Chicago
1980
Selected for Venice biennale, Italy; included in travelling exhibition, The Morton G. Neumann Family Collection: selected works, organised by National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC
1980–81
Completes prints and unique paper pulp works at Tyler Graphics Ltd., Bedford Village, New York
1981
Solo exhibition, at Institute of Contemporary Art, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia; included in Biennial exhibition, Whitney Museum of American Art, New York City
1984
Included in exhibitions, Prints from Tyler Graphics, at Walker Art Center, Minneapolis; An international survey of recent painting and sculpture, Museum of Modern Art, New York City
1985
Included in exhibition, American painting now! Painting in the 1980s, Columbus Museum of Art, Georgia
1986
Included in exhibition, An American renaissance: painting and sculpture since 1940,Museum of Art, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
1987
Solo exhibition, A view of the workshop: from Tyler Graphics, at Katonah Gallery, New York City
1988
Included in exhibition, The combination print: 1980s, New Jersey Center for the Visual Arts, Summit; designs plates and vases for porcelain manufacturer in Sevres, France
1989
Included in exhibition, The natural image, Stanford Museum, California
1995
Receives John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Fellowship; included in exhibition, Floral contemporary artists in the world of flowers, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, Wisconsin
1997
Included in exhibition, Aprés Monet: the water lily in contemporary art, Hammond Museum, North Salem, New York
1999
Lectures at the Oklahoma Summer Arts Institute, University of Oklahoma, Norman Robert Rahwey Zakanitch currently lives and works in New York City, New York
Barbara Delano © Tyler Graphics Ltd., revised Kate Buckingham, 2006
This chronology provides an overview of selected biographical information, major solo and group exhibitions held within the artist's own lifetime.
