As a realist painter, my main focus is portraying the human figure. I find it challenging, complex, and it provides me the widest range of expressive potential.

I have a passion for the kind of visual drama and excitement exemplified in the works of Caravaggio, Van Dyck, Titian, Rembrandt and Velasquez.

The amount of time I spend on a painting can vary from one to six months. I like to have several pieces developing simultaneously, while alternating between them.

I work the painting surface aggressively, building up and scraping down until I find the right balance in the paint quality. I alternate between opaque, semi-transparent and transparent layers, seeking the right combination to make the surface vibrate.

The result is layered and complex, yet spontaneous.

Joseph Taffo - Born May 10th 1964 in Brooklyn N.Y. Studied Architecture at Pratt Institute and painting and drawing at the Art Students League. Worked as an illustrator painting highly realistic book cover illustrations. Currently pursuing dual careers in Architecture and Fine Art.