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Worthy Convos: Taz Bentley on Art, Music, and Fort Worth
We started Worthy Convos to highlight people doing good and interesting things in our community. You might know Taz Bentley as a touring rock drummer, playing with Reverend Horton Heat, Izzy Stradlin, and Duff McKagan, as well as being a founding member of the Dallas punk band, The Assassins. His first love, however, was painting, and his first art show, Compartments, is on view at Briggs Freeman Sotheby’s on Camp Bowie through August 2. Taz kindly took time out of his busy schedule for a Worthy Convo.
Tanglewood Moms: Congratulations on your first solo show! Most people know you as a drummer and songwriter. What inspired the change from music to visual arts?
Taz Bentley: Thank you so much! I actually graduated from Arts Magnet (Booker T. Washington High School for the Performing and Visual Arts) and completed a couple of years of college before leaving to pursue music, so painting was never too far away. I decided to retire from music 15 years ago to pursue photography and reconnect with painting. Over the last five years, painting has truly moved to the forefront of my passions!
photo credit: Brain Case Media
TWM: Tell us a little about the inspiration behind Compartments.
TB: I was painting one day and, probably just to save space, I bunched five or six canvases together. Seeing them all at once, I noticed a recurring theme: squares, boxes, and rectangles showed up in almost every piece. I realized I was finding a sense of comfort in creating these structures. For me, they directly correlated with my time as a drummer, where my job was to create order within chaos. As I kept painting, I consciously leaned into these shapes and began to think of them as “compartments”—safe, structured spaces inside the chaos of the abstract work.
TWM: Is there a difference in your process of creating a painting versus writing a song?
TB: For me, there definitely is a difference. I used to write songs based on premeditated ideas, rather than a song just appearing out of nowhere. With painting, however, I’m able to approach a blank canvas with absolutely no expectations. The artwork presents itself to me as I’m working on it. That’s not to say I don’t have initial ideas for my paintings, but even when I do, the piece takes on a life of its own during the process.
Depths 3, 2025
Acrylic, pastel on canvas
18″ x 24″ ·
Photo: Taz Bentley Photo
TWM: What lessons learned from music do you use in your painting?
TB: Great question! I think the most important thing I learned from creating music was not to gatekeep ideas. When I first started out, if I had an idea for a song, a melody, or a lyric, I found it hard to let others offer input. Over time, I learned how much stronger the finished result was when it was a collaborative effort. Even though painting is a solo endeavor, I’ve carried that lesson with me. I’ve learned to treat the canvas as a partner and let each piece evolve, rather than forcing it toward its original direction. The paintings feel much more complete when they are allowed to speak up for themselves.
TWM: What surprised you the most when you were creating Compartments?
TB: I’d have to say I was most surprised by how much I truly enjoyed the final results. When I was a student, I threw away 90% of my work because I didn’t think it measured up to that of my classmates. I wanted to paint like Monet, Van Gogh, or Matisse, and I couldn’t get past the feeling that my work was never good enough. As I matured, I realized it’s impossible—and counterproductive—to compare your work to others. You have to be as open, honest, and vulnerable as possible to truly represent yourself on the canvas. Once I stopped comparing, I was able to simply let the work be what it is.
The Cave
Acrylic paint, latex paint, chalk
paint, metallic paint,
pastel charcoal
24″ x 24″ · Unframed
In a Private Collection, photo by Taz Bentley Photo
TWM: Not only are you a musician and composer, but you’re also known as a photographer. Has your experience in creating photographs translated into creating paintings?
TB: Absolutely! However, it really goes both ways. I’ve found that my eye for composition has vastly improved in both mediums because they constantly inform one another. I can now approach a photograph with the same mentality as a blank canvas. Ultimately, immersing myself in both practices has elevated my entire body of work.
TWM: A lot of visual artists are inspired by music, listening to a certain piece over and over while creating. As a musician and a painter, is there a crossover?
TB: I love listening to music while I paint, but it’s rare that a specific song or style dictates what ends up on the canvas. For me, songwriting comes from a deeply emotional place where I can tell a story without words, using tempo, distortion, rigidity, or calmness to build a narrative sonically. A sad song feels sad, a love song sounds like love, and heartbreak sounds like heartache. Painting, on the other hand, is a much calmer experience from beginning to end. While some of my visual pieces might look more frantic than others, that energy comes from the process itself, not from whatever happens to be playing in the background.
The Horse, 2015
Latex paint
30″ x 30″ · Framed
In a Private Collection
Photo: Taz Bentley Photo
TWM: Is there any trepidation in sharing your visual art with the public for the first time?
TB: None at all. I always loved sharing music with our audiences. It was an incredible thrill when someone liked the music enough to buy an album or purchase a ticket to see us perform, and I feel the same way about the artwork. The simple fact that someone enjoys a piece enough to want it in their home is incredibly rewarding—dare I say, validating!
TWM: What do you hope people take away from Compartments?
TB: I truly hope people just enjoy the art. More than anything, I hope they’re moved by the pieces. My goal was to make this work inviting enough for folks to pause, spend some time with it, and find their own personal connection to the canvas.
With Gratitude, 2023
Chalk paint, charcoal on canvas
14-5/8″ x 17-5/8″ (framed)
Photo: Taz Bentley Photo
TWM: And finally, you grew up over on the other side of the Metroplex but now make Fort Worth your home. You know we Fort Worthians love people who move west. Is there a difference in how the cities treat their artists?
TB: That’s a tough one to answer because I’ve always felt both cities are massive cultural hubs. They are both incredibly supportive of the arts in all their forms, from fantastic music venues to vibrant theater and dance scenes. And, obviously, both boast world-class museums and art galleries. However, in my time here, I’ve noticed that Fort Worth goes above and beyond to promote the arts, specifically on a visual level. The Main Street Arts Festival is amazing, and the fact that Fort Worth hosts two Gallery Nights a year is just wonderful. That’s not to say Dallas doesn’t support its creatives, but Fort Worth works incredibly hard to champion its local artists.
