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Tony Tascona was a Canadian artist known for his innovative use of aerospace industrial materials such as aluminum, resin, and industrial paints and lacquer.
Raised in a large family of Sicilian descent, Tascona began working as a truck driver at the age of 15 to help support his parents. He attended the Winnipeg School of Art through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and then continued his studies at the University of Manitoba School of Art. Both schools exposed him to Modernist movements, such as Vorticism, and the work of artists like Hans Hoffmann. Later influences were Les plasticiens artists such as Guido Molinari and Claude Tousignant.
Tascona began working as an aircraft technician after graduating, and this experience introduced him to industrial materials that he would later incorporate into his art.
A 1967 commission for the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall marked a turning point in Tascona’s career, showcasing his ability to merge industrial materials with artistic vision.
Tascona’s work is in the permanent collections of numerous Canadian public institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and various universities across Canada. He was appointed to the Order of Canada (OC) in 1996.
Raised in a large family of Sicilian descent, Tascona began working as a truck driver at the age of 15 to help support his parents. He attended the Winnipeg School of Art through the Department of Veterans’ Affairs and then continued his studies at the University of Manitoba School of Art. Both schools exposed him to Modernist movements, such as Vorticism, and the work of artists like Hans Hoffmann. Later influences were Les plasticiens artists such as Guido Molinari and Claude Tousignant.
Tascona began working as an aircraft technician after graduating, and this experience introduced him to industrial materials that he would later incorporate into his art.
A 1967 commission for the Manitoba Centennial Concert Hall marked a turning point in Tascona’s career, showcasing his ability to merge industrial materials with artistic vision.
Tascona’s work is in the permanent collections of numerous Canadian public institutions, including the National Gallery of Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, the Winnipeg Art Gallery, the Vancouver Art Gallery, and various universities across Canada. He was appointed to the Order of Canada (OC) in 1996.
