
Tam Van Tran (American, born Vietnam, 1966). Untitled, 2007. Acrylic, spirulina, pencil, collage, and staples on paper, 16 x 14 x 4 7/8 inches (40.6 x 35.6 x 12.4 cm). Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York; Charles Clifton Fund, 2008 (2008:40.1). © 2007 Tam Van Tran
© Tam Van Tran
Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

© Tam Van Tran
Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.

© Tam Van Tran
Image downloads are for educational use only. For all other purposes, please see our Obtaining and Using Images page.



Tam Van Tran
American and Vietnamese, born 1966
Untitled, 2007
acrylic, spirulina, pencil, collage, and staples on paper
sheet: 16 x 14 x 4 7/8 inches (40.64 x 35.56 x 12.38 cm)
Collection Albright-Knox Art Gallery, Buffalo, New York
Charles Clifton Fund, 2008
2008:40.1
More Details
Class
Work Type
Information may change due to ongoing research.Glossary of Terms
Tam Van Tran blurs the boundaries between painting, drawing, and sculptural practices by merging traditional materials—such as canvas, paper, and paint—with decidedly less conventional ones—including algae, beet juice, eggshells, spirulina, and staples. His distinctive working methods result in hand-molded abstractions that resemble aerial maps when viewed from afar and are layered with nuances that reveal the artist’s hand. He begins by painting and drawing an image on paper that he then manipulates into a three-dimensional object by cutting, hole-punching, stapling, and other processes. Tran’s work is full of dualities—abstraction and representation, natural and manmade, terrestrial and otherworldly. Through his imagery the artist, who is a devout Buddhist, explores the complexity of our universe, aiming to reconcile East and West by pursuing meditative mindfulness and beauty alongside darker sensibilities of violence and aggression.
Label from Drawing: The Beginning of Everything, July 8–October 15, 2017
Related Content
-
-
-
Blog Post
Exhibition Spotlight—Tam Van Tran in Drawing: The Beginning of Everything
September 5, 2017Learn MoreLearn More -