Junkies

Junkies, Issue 5, 2015

Tal Avitzur was raised in Pennsylvania in a family where the sciences were emphasized more than the arts. He moved to California to attend college in Santa Barbara.  While in school Tal lived in a large communal artist compound with a constant stream of artists coming and going. He worked for a number of artists, including sculptor George Rickey and ceramicist Beatrice Wood. 

After earning a Masters in math Tal worked for the US Navy in Washington, DC determining the best collection of spare parts that carriers should keep stocked in order to maximize readiness of planes.  However the call of Santa Barbara was too great.  So Tal returned and began teaching part-time, which left ample time for artistic pursuits.  

Home improvement projects took him to scrap metal yards, which sealed his fate. His work is heavily influenced by the comics and science fiction books and movies from his childhood. Tal lives with his wife Lisa, blind foster dog Mancha and many creatures created in his workshop. He drives an electric Fiat that is charged by solar panels on his home.