The Benedict Tatti papers were donated by Adele Tatti, widow of Benedict Tatti, in 2010.
The papers were processed by Joy Weiner in June 2011.
Benedict Tatti, 1936-2011, bulk 1945-1993. Archives of American Art, Smithsonian Institution.
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Benedict Tatti (1917-1993) worked in New York as a sculptor, painter, educator, and video artist.
Born in New York in 1917, Tatti began his art education at Haaren High School. He continued his studies at the Roerich Museum with Louis Slobodkin, the Art Students League with William Zorach and Ossip Zadkine, and the Leonardo da Vinci School of Art under Attillio Piccirelli. Later in his career, he attended the Hans Hofmann School of Fine Arts. During World War II, Tatti served in the United States Army Air Force, where he spent three years assigned to variety of projects. In 1948, Benedict Tatti married Adele Rosenberg in New York City.
Throughout his career, Tatti continuously experimented with various media. From 1952-1963, Tatti executed sculptural models of architectural and consumer products for the industrial designers, Raymond Loewy Associates; later he became a color consultant for the firm. In the 1960s, influenced by the Abstract Expressionists, Tatti turned from carving directly in wood and stone to creating assemblage sculptures, using bronze metal and other industrial materials. During this period, Tatti spent summers on Monhegan Island in Maine, where he developed his water coloring techniques. In 1963, Tatti was hired to teach sculpture at the High School of Art and Design in New York, a position that he held for fifteen years.
In the 1970s, Tatti, with no previous background in video work developed technology for video imaging. He became an associate member of the Kitchen at the Mercer Arts Center exhibiting his video sculptures along with other early innovators of this new art form. In 1975, he invented a rewind reel adapter device. Despite health problems, Tatti continued to work and exhibit into the 1980s. He assisted his brother, Alexander Tatti and his nephew, Steven Tatti on the restoration of the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island, which was completed in 1985.
Benedict Tatti received solo and group exhibitions at museums and galleries in the United States and abroad, including the Burr Gallery, Claude Bernard Galleries, Metropolitan Museum of Art, under the Artists for Victory Program, Museum of Modern Art, National Gallery of Art, Northeast Gallery, Pennsylvania Academy of the Fine Arts, and the Roko Gallery. Also, Tatti's work was regularly featured in annual exhibitions of several arts organizations: American Society of Contemporary Artists, Annual Avant Garde Festival, Audubon Artists, Brooklyn Society of Artists, and Painters and Sculptors Society of New Jersey. His awards included the National Soldier Art Competition at the National Gallery of Art (1945); Artist-in-Residence, National Center of Experiments TV, San Francisco, California, (1969); and the Creative Artists Public Service (CAPS), (1972). Tatti's artwork is in the permanent collections of the American Numismatic Society, Art Students League, Dumbarton Oaks, Monhegan Museum, Smithsonian Institution, and the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts.
Benedict Tatti died on July 30, 1993.
The papers of New York sculptor, painter, educator, and video artist, Benedict Tatti (1917-1993) measure 1.8 linear feet and date from 1936-2011, with the bulk of the collection dating from 1945-1993. Papers consist of biographical material, correspondence, project files, subject files, exhibition files, writings, notes, and lists, printed materials, and photographs. Exhibition files and printed material, such as catalogues and checklists provide an overview of Tatti's activities as a sculptor and video artist. Also, photographs of artwork are a rich source of provenance-related information on Tatti's sculptures.
Biographical materials include curriculum vitae,
Project files contain Tatti's commissions for Eutectic-Castolin Institute, Staten Island Community College, Statue of Liberty Restoration, and the Usdan Center for the Creative and Performing Arts; application proposals to Creative Artists Public Service program (CAPS); and the artist's invention of the rewind reel adapter. Subject files include Tatti's memberships and activities in professional associations, e.g., American Medallic Sculpture Association, American Numismatic Society, and Audubon Artists; Tatti's Artist-in-Residence proposals for the Television Lab, WNET 13; and his involvement in educational video presentations. Exhibition files consist of scattered materials on Tatti's shows at the Anthology Film Archives; Burr Galleries; Galerie Claude Bernard; The Kitchen, Mercer Arts Gallery; Northeast Harbor Gallery; and Roko Gallery.
Writings, notes, and lists include writings by Benedict Tatti; writings about Benedict Tatti, including a statement on the artist by Isamu Noguchi; and lists compiled by Adele Tatti relating to her late husband's work. Artwork contains Tatti's sketch of a sculpture for the Northeast Harbor Museum and sketches of medal designs. Printed material consists of announcements, brochures, invitations, exhibition catalogues and checklists, clippings, periodicals, newsletters, reproductions, other printed matter, and monographs. Photographs include black and white prints of portrait shots of Benedict Tatti, Tatti in his studio and with others, video equipment and Tatti's video art; also found are color photographs of Tatti's sculptures and design maquettes.
The collection is arranged as 9 series:
Biographical material contains curriculum vitae, a commencement program from Haaren High School, a Honorable Discharge certificate from the United States Army, typescripts and drafts of entries for
Files are arranged by format and the materials within the folders are arranged chronologically.
Correspondence consists of letters, announcements,and copies of e-mails to Benedict Tatti from colleagues, dealers, collectors, representatives of museums and arts organizations, among others. There are a few letters from Tatti, including a handmade holiday card. Letters pertain to Tatti's exhibitions and commissions, his teaching positions, awards and honors; also found are requests for biographical information. Notable correspondents include Jane Canfield, Lloyd Goodrich, Louis Slobodkin, and William Zorach. Included is a small portion of Adele Tatti's correspondence concerning the preservation and archiving of videotapes created by Tatti in the 1970s.
Files are arranged in chronological order.
This series includes Benedict Tatti's commissions, including an unexecuted project; grant applications to conduct experimental work with video technology and art; and a statement of purpose and design for Tatti's invention of the rewind reel adapter.
Materials consist of correspondence, application forms, proposals, proposed budgets, a list of Tatti's sculptures, architectural renderings and design sketches, reproductions of artwork, printed matter, clippings, and supporting materials.
Files are arranged in chronological order.
This series consists of files relating to Benedict Tatti's activities in professional associations; his proposals for an artist-in-residence fellowship at the Television Lab, WNET 13; and schedules of Tatti's educational video presentations.
Materials include letters, forms, deeds of gifts, draft proposals, lists of members, annotated checklists, informational sheets, printed material, clippings, and brochures.
Files are arranged in alphabetical order and the materials within the folder are arranged chronologically.
This series consists of scattered files of Benedict Tatti's solo and group exhibitions during the 1960s and 1970s.
Files include letters, biographical information, checklists, price lists, contract, receipts, exhibition announcements, press releases, calendars of events, exhibition jury notices, printed materials, clippings, and brochures.
Files are arranged in chronological order.
This series includes writings and notes by Benedict Tatti on sculpture and video art and writings about the artist, including a statement by Isamu Noguchi on Tatti. Adele Tatti compiled lists on Benedict Tatti's paintings and sculptures housed in museums and public collections, a partial list of titles of Tatti's sculptures, an inventory of videotapes donated to the Anthology of Film Archives, and a list of selected art publications that reference her late husband's work.
Files are arranged in chronological order.
There is a preliminary sketch of a sculpture by Tatti, in pen, and pen and pencil sketches of Tatti's medal designs.
Printed material contains announcements; invitations; brochures, exhibition catalogues and checklists; clippings; periodicals; newsletters; and reproductions, including Benedict Tatti's prototype of "Bob's Big Boy," a commissioned work for a chain of restaurants in the United States. Monographs include
Files are arranged by format and materials in the folders are in chronological order.
This series includes black and white prints of Benedict Tatti, Tatti in his studio by himself and with others, video equipment and Tatti's video art. Many of the color prints of Tatti's sculptures and design maquettes include provenance-related information on the back of the photograph.
Files are arranged by subject and the materials within the folders are arranged chronologically.