Benedict Tatti

Alt text: organic wood sculpture, signature detail

Alt text: organic wood sculpture, bottom

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Painted Organic Form, c. 1960’s
Wood, stain, oil paint, 9 ½ H. x 8 W. x 4 D inches
Signed reverse: TATTI
Signed and inscribed underneath base

Alt text: Abstract kinetic sculpture of painted welded steel with three hanging/movable pieces, frontal view

Alt text: Abstract kinetic sculpture of painted welded steel with three hanging/movable pieces, side view

Alt text: Abstract kinetic sculpture of painted welded steel with three hanging/movable pieces, rear view

Alt text: Detail of kinetic sculpture with inscribed artist signature

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Kinetic
Welded Steel and Paint
61 H. x 16 W. x 16 D. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Alt text: Welded steel sculpture jutting out from a single point in an incised concrete block, frontal view

Alt text: Welded steel sculpture jutting out from a single point in an incised concrete block, angled view

Alt text: Detail of steel sculpture with artist signature incised in concrete:

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Excalibur
Welded Steel and Paint
45 H. x 15 W. x 13 1/5 D. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Alt text: Welded chain link sculpture with biomorphic figure, angled view

Alt text: Welded chain link sculpture with biomorphic figure, side view

Alt text: Welded chain link sculpture with biomorphic figure, rear view

Alt text: Welded chain link sculpture with biomorphic figure, frontal view

Alt text: Detail of welded chain link sculpture with inscribed artist signature

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Abstract Figure
Welded Chain Link
41 H. x 12 1/4 W. x 10 D. inches

Alt text: Welded pickaxe sculpture resembling a propeller, frontal view

Welded pickaxe sculpture resembling a propeller, angled view

Alt text: Welded pickaxe sculpture resembling a propeller, angled view

Alt text: Welded pickaxe sculpture resembling a propeller, side view

Alt text: Welded pickaxe sculpture resembling a propeller, rear view

Alt text: Detail of welded pickaxe sculpture showing inscribed artist signature

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Abstract Form
Welded Pickaxes
36 H. x 11 W. x 11 D. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Alt text: Abstract steel sculptures resembling two figures side by side, frontal view

Alt text: Abstract steel sculptures resembling two figures side by side, angled view

Alt text: Abstract steel sculptures resembling two figures side by side, rear view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Two Figures
Welded Steel
24 H. x 36 W. x 22 D. inches

Alt text: Steel sculpture in the shape of a small chair with rounded seat, frontal view

Alt text: Steel sculpture in the shape of a small chair with rounded seat, angled view

Alt text: Steel sculpture in the shape of a small chair with rounded seat, rear view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Oriental, circa 1975
Steel
22 1/2 H. x 15 W. x 8 D. inches

Alt text: Welded steel sculpture with many panels or blades, resembling a fan, frontal view

Alt text: Welded steel sculpture with many panels or blades, resembling a fan, angled view

Alt text: Welded steel sculpture with many panels or blades, resembling a fan, side view

Alt text: Welded steel sculpture with many panels or blades, resembling a fan, rear view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Geometric, circa 1960
Welded Steel
16 H. x 16 W. x 12 D. inches
Base 2 H. inches

Alt text: Abstract owl sculpture made of smooth steel coated in paint, side view

Alt text: Abstract owl sculpture made of smooth steel coated in paint, rear view

Alt text: Abstract owl sculpture made of smooth steel coated in paint, angled view

Alt text: Abstract owl sculpture made of smooth steel coated in paint, frontal view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Owl
Steel and Paint
16 1/2 H. x 7 W. x 3 1/2 D. inches

Alt text: Painted, welded steel sculpture of a horse, side view

Alt text: Painted, welded steel sculpture of a horse, angled view

Alt text: Detail of horse sculpture incised with artist signature

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Horse
Welded Steel and Paint
20 H. x 26 1/4 W. x 5 3/4 D. inches
Signed: TATTI

Alt text: Welded bronze sculpture shaped like a tree mounted on a slag block, angled view

Alt text: Welded bronze sculpture shaped like a tree mounted on a slag block, frontal view

Alt text: Welded bronze sculpture shaped like a tree mounted on a slag block, side view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Tree
Welded Bronze and Slag
16 H. x 11 W. x 13 D. inches

Alt text: Interlocked, torn steel sculpture with abstracted form, view 1

Alt text: Interlocked, torn steel sculpture with abstracted form, view 2

Alt text: Interlocked, torn steel sculpture with abstracted form, view 3

Alt text: Interlocked, torn steel sculpture with abstracted form, view 4

Alt text: Interlocked, torn steel sculpture with abstracted form, view 5

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Abstract composition
Torn Steel
14 H. x 16 W. x 16 1/2 D. inches

Alt text: Boomerang-shaped marble sculpture mounted on marble, attached by a short metal poll

Alt text: Boomerang-shaped marble sculpture mounted on marble, attached by a short metal poll, angled view

Alt text: Boomerang-shaped marble sculpture mounted on marble, attached by a short metal poll, frontal view

Alt text: Boomerang-shaped marble sculpture mounted on marble, attached by a short metal poll, side view

Alt text: Boomerang-shaped marble sculpture mounted on marble, attached by a short metal poll, rear view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Bird in Flight, circa 1950s
Marble
12 3/4 H. x 7 1/4 W. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Alt text: Abstract soldered lead sculpture atop a wooden base resembling a swan, angled view

Alt text: Abstract soldered lead sculpture atop a wooden base resembling a swan, side view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Bird, circa 1970
Sheet Lead Soldered
5 1/2 H. x 6 3/4 W. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Alt text: Abstract soldered lead sculpture atop a wooden base with six points, angled view

Alt text: Abstract soldered lead sculpture atop a wooden base with six points, side view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Lead Abstraction V, circa 1970
Soldered Lead
6 1/8 H. x 7 W. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Alt text: Abstract soldered lead sculpture atop a wooden base resembling a drawbridge, side view

Alt text: Abstract soldered lead sculpture atop a wooden base resembling a drawbridge, angled view

Alt text: Abstract soldered lead sculpture atop a wooden base resembling a drawbridge, frontal view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Lead Abstraction VI, circa 1970
Soldered lead and wire
3 3/4 H. x 6 3/4 W. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Alt text: Abstract soldered lead sculpture atop a wooden base, angled view

Alt text: Abstract soldered lead sculpture atop a wooden base, side view

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Lead Abstract IV, circa 1970
Soldered Lead
3 1/4 H. x 6 1/4 W. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Alt text: Cubist-like oil painting of a figure sitting atop a stool holding a mirror and looking into their reflection

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Face In the Mirror, circa 1955
Oil on canvas
20 H. x 16 W. inches

Alt text: Abstract watercolor of seagulls in a feeding frenzy, with an empty background

Alt text: Verso of watercolor with hand signed sticker reading

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Feeding Frenzy Seagulls Monhegan, 1959
Watercolor on paper
14 H. x 20 W. inches
Signed LR: TATTI
Titled, Estate Stamped, dated verso

Alt text: Abstracted watercolor with geometric forms depicting a rising hill on the coast beside open water

Alt text: Detail of bottom right corner of watercolor, signed

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Maine Coast, Monhegan Island, 1950
Watercolor on paper
14 1/2 H. x 19 3/4 W. inches
Signed & Dated LR: B. Tatti ’50
Titled, Dated, Estate Stamped Verso

Alt text: Watercolor of two boat docks with a Davit, boat lowering system, and a winding river in the background

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Monhegan Island, Maine, 1960
Watercolor on paper
15 1/4 H. x 11 1/4 W. inches
Signed, titled , dated verso

Alt text: Watercolor of seagulls on the coast

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Seagulls Monhegan, circa 1955
Watercolor on paper
16 1/2 H. x 14 1/2 W. inches

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Head, circa 1960
Marble, limestone, and granite mounted on a wood base
11 3/4 H. x 5 1/2 W. x 6 1/2 D. inches.

Alt text: Abstracted watercolor of a mountain and trees

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Monhegan Island, Maine, 1947
Watercolor on paper
7 1/2 H. x 11 W. inches
Signed, Titled, Dated Verso

Alt text: Carved marble sculpture of a reclining nude woman

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Reclining Nude
Marble
5 3/4 H. x 7 3/4 W. inches

Alt text: Smooth wooden abstract sculpture

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Abstract Form
Wood, 9 H. inches

Alt text: Signature detail on wood carving of a totem

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Totem, 1962
Carved wood
11 1/8 H. x 4 W. x 2 1/4 D. inches
Base: 2 H. x 5 W. x 3 3/4 D. inches
Stamped verso: TATTI 62

Sold Archive

Alt text: Marble sculpture carving of a bird

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Bird, c. 1950s-1960s
Marble
7 1/2 H. x 8 1/2 W. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Totem, 1962
Marble
49 1/4 H. x 2 3/8 W. inches
Signed verso: TATTI

Alt text: Wood carving in the shape of a torso

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Torso, c. 1950s-1960s
Wood, paint
14 3/4 H. inches

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Abstract, Pipe, c. 1960
Steel and paint
11 1/2 H. inches

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Abstract, Tri-form
Steel
18 1/2 H. inches

Benedict Tatti
American, 1917-1993
Scrap Assemblage, c. 1960
Steel and paint
24 H. x 8 1/2 W. x 7 D. inches
Signed on base: TATTI

Artist Description

Benedict Michael Tatti was born in New York City on May l, l917. At an early age, he demonstrated a marked talent for art. While attending Haaren High School, he studied stone and wood carving under Louis Slobodkin at the Roerich Museum. He later attended the Leonardo da Vinci School of Art studying under Attillio Piccirelli. In l939 he taught adult classes with the Teachers Project of the W.P.A. and attended the Art Students League for three and a half years on full scholarship. He studied under William Zorach and Ossip Zadkin and became Zorach’s assistant.

He began to exhibit his early works at the ACA Gallery, Puma Gallery, Weyhe Gallery and at the Metropolitan Museum of Art under the Artists for Victory Show in 1942. During the early years of World War II, he worked at the Brooklyn Navy yard as a welder until he was drafted in 1943 into the US Army Air Force where he spent more than three years in a variety of assignments. He won first prize for his sculpture, “Soldier”, in the National Soldier Art Competition, which was exhibited at the National Gallery of Art, Washington, D. C. and the Chicago Art Institute. He continued to direct carve both wood and stone into the decade of the fifties. He also developed his watercolor techniques during summer visits to Monhegan Island, Maine, where many of his friends summered. In l970, he was awarded Artist-in-Residence with the National Center for Experiments in Television at KQED in San Francisco. This started a period of experimentation with video imaging that lasted some 10 years. After acquiring the technology, he became an associate member of the “Kitchen” at the Mercer Street Art Center exhibiting video sculpture along with other early innovators of this new art form.

He retired from teaching but continued to work and exhibit in the 1980’s. His work is in the permanent collections of the Smithsonian Institute, American Numismatic Society, USDAN Center for Performing Arts, Arts Students League, Monhegan Museum and Dunbarton Oaks.