Barbara J. Taff (born in Rochester, New York); is a longtime resident of New
York City. She is an artist and author who creates 3-D moving photographs and
sculptures. Taff graduated with a BS in Art from the State University College of
Buffalo, New York, 1969 and with an MS from Pratt Institute, Brooklyn, New
York, 1973. In her studies during the 60s and 70s, Taff was inspired by the
strong geometric forms of the Bauhaus and the visual possibilities of op art and
kinetic art movements. Influenced by the perceptual works of Victor Vasarely,
Yaacov Agam, M.C. Escher and Joseph Albers, she experimented with
holograms, stereograms and symbolic sculptural forms. At the Art Students
League in New York, Taff continued her artist’s curiosity and intentions to
broaden her thinking and experiences by studying with Gustav Rehberger, Garin
J. Baker, Costas Vavagiakis and Dionisio Cimarelli.
Her current artworks bring forth a unique perceptional dimension and existential
dilemma, known as “observational paradoxes”. Through combining two or more
images on a single surface, she creates a visual shift dependent on the viewers’
physical position. These epistemological images are extremely ambiguous and
raise questions about the meaning of permanency and truth, challenging our
perceptions and imagination. Perception in art by the viewer is conditioned by
numerous factors including politics, social, cultural, gender and racial themes.
The views of the artist and an observer contribute to the understanding of art and
may change over the course of time. Taff’s choice of object/subject, such as a
neglected, fractured square of concrete urban sidewalk morphing into a green
dress fit for evening wear cause the viewer to look, then – look again. As asked
in Quantum Physics, is there an entity or is there not?
Taff expresses her oeuvre in the following way, “I strive to surprise my viewers by
exposing them to a one-of-a-kind, fresh experience. I set out to create an
emotional reaction in them – be it a smile, a laugh, a discernment and hopefully
expand their way of seeing and appreciating the world.”
Taff’s work has been widely exhibited in New York and is in private collections
across the United States and Canada. Her works have been shown in the New
York Tri-State area at the Cooper Hewitt Museum, the Hudson River Museum,
the Liberty Science Center and in California at the Getty Museum. Taff’s art
book, “The Best Colors”, recognized internationally, appeals to all ages. Using
the primary colors as subjects – the artist infuses emotional feelings about
diversity, identity, and conflict resolution – that help us see and accept our
differences and similarities in new ways.