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Mike Tabor is one of the southwest’s most respected western expressionist painters. Raised in Fort Worth, Texas, the third-generation rancher began drawing and sketching at an early age. In 1974, he began his formal training at Tarleton State University. Upon his graduation, he cowboyed around working on various central Texas ranches. After becoming less satisfied with his artistic direction, he turned to teaching. In his own words, “teaching students keeps me fresh artistically,” Mike says. Mike maintains a family ranching operation in Central Texas.
Influenced by the Pop Art movement of the 1960s and the foreign impressionists, Tabor credits his modernistic approach to a continuing drive to take western themes in a new direction. While his figures remain sensual, his movement seems to grow more to abstract expressionism. He pushes to disassociate himself from literal representation of subject matter. Concerns for light, mood, and color theories become more intense emotional interpretations. Limiting elements becomes the goal in developmental and directional endeavors. |
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