in 1946 tascona enrolled in the winnipeg school of art through the department of veterans' affairs. his instructor joe plaskett introduced him to hans hofmann's theories on abstraction. after receiving his diploma, he continued his education at the university of manitoba school of art and was there exposed to other modernist movements such as vorticism. in 1953 tascona began work as a technician for trans-canada airlines where he developed his skills and interest in working with a variety of industrial techniques and materials including a fascination with aluminum, high-grade paints, lacquers and enamels. this formation of interest extended to his brother's auto-body garage, where tascona became interested in the use of car paint, borrowing paint chips and supplies for use in his own studio. in 1961 tascona moved to montreal where he became acquainted with the works of les plasticiens artists such as guido molinari and claude tousignant for what he called their "direct, more mathematical,