Robert Cattan
www.cattanart.com
Artist Bio
Robert Cattan started his creative endeavors as a young photographer working in a variety of commercial settings in NYC. He attended The School of Visual Arts while honing his technical skills and developing his sense of style and composition, winning several Digital Imaging awards early in his career. For over 20 years, he operated a full-service commercial photo studio, “Cattan Photographics” providing commercial print media, corporate presentations, fine art printing and studio/still life photography.
www.cattanart.com
Artist Bio
Robert Cattan started his creative endeavors as a young photographer working in a variety of commercial settings in NYC. He attended The School of Visual Arts while honing his technical skills and developing his sense of style and composition, winning several Digital Imaging awards early in his career. For over 20 years, he operated a full-service commercial photo studio, “Cattan Photographics” providing commercial print media, corporate presentations, fine art printing and studio/still life photography.
Throughout his years as a commercial photographer, Robert continued to be passionate about fine art photography, with pieces of his work exhibited in galleries in the NY metropolitan area and the Hudson Valley. Robert was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease 25 years ago. As the disease has progressed and his ability to use a camera and digital manipulation has become more limited, Robert has explored other mediums as a means of expression, turning to painting, collage and mixed media. Moving away from precise image-making to more abstract and conceptual art has given Robert the freedom to continue to create. More recently he has exhibited several times at the Limner Gallery in Hudson, NY, ARTSWESTCHESTER in White Plains, NY and the Photo Place Gallery in Middlebury, Vermont.
Robert’s most recent project is deeply reflective of his current introspective state related to his PD and includes abstract portraits called “Face of Parkinsons”. These pieces “evolved naturally”, he states, as he paints with little pre-conceived ideas or expectations, but rather with feeling that emerges with paint in hand. He uses acrylics, sometimes starting and re-starting to create texture and layers, reflective of the layers of emotion and thought managing the impact of a degenerative disease. Color is rich and often dark. The faces reflect fear and terror but also strength and resiliency.
