Tavar Zawacki has published two books that reflect his artistic journey over the past 25 years. The first, Passport (2011), was released under his former pseudonym, ABOVE. This book captures the essence of his early street art persona and showcases a rich collection of works inspired by his travels across more than 40 countries worldwide. In contrast, Metamorphosis (2017) was published under his birth name, Tavar Zawacki, marking a pivotal moment in his career as he transitioned into more abstract art, exploring styles such as Op-Art, Trompe l'oeil, and hard-edge abstraction. Together, these books provide profound insights into Tavar’s evolution from ABOVE to a celebrated individual artist.
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METAMORPHOSIS
168-page hardcover book.
Metamorphosis is the second published monograph by the Californian-born, Berlin-based visual artist Tavar Zawacki - and the first under his real name.
PASSPORT
156-page hardcover book documenting the artworks and travels of 'ABOVE' a.k.a.Tavar Zawacki in over 50 countries around the world from 2004 to 2010.
Artist + friend, Shepard Fairey wrote the introduction for Passport.
Passport Intro: Shepard Fairey
"I first encountered ABOVE's art on the streets of Paris in early
2003. His large scale trademark arrows were painted on a roll down
gates, trucks, and storefronts with impressive coverage throughout the
city. ABOVE is extraordinarily driven. To paraphrase RADIOHEAD,
"ambition can make you look pretty ugly," but in ABOVE's case, his
ambition makes the streets look very engaging. I am very impressed by
ABOVE's diligence, but after I got to know him and his artwork more, I
began to realize that his output is not evidence of selfish ego, but of a
lust for life, a utopian life, where his generosity, and curiosity, and
his pursuit of creativity and social-consciousness have led him around
the world making more friends than enemies.
ABOVE made the time to act as a tour guide for me and my wife and
our two young daughters in a city he knows well and we didn't. The
gesture made me greatly value ABOVE's friendship and reinforced my
belief that what you give is what you get. The Karma Police are not
coming for ABOVE even if the police vandal squad is."
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METAMORPHOSIS
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