Illustrator, printmaker, designer and lecturer, born in London. He trained at Hornsey College of Art, 1946–50 after six years’ war service in the Army. He was art teacher at Temple School, Strood, and at Medway College of Art prior to joining staff of Eastbourne College of Art and Design, where he was deputy principal. He carried out many book illustrations for educational series published by Hamish Hamilton, Longmans Green, Oxford University Press and Methuen and did commissioned work for Central Office of Information, General Post Office, Imperial Chemical Industries and others. Tavener showed widely in group exhibitions and had several dozen solo shows. He was a senior fellow, retired, of RE and Society of Industrial artists. Over 2,000 of his prints were bought for national collections in Britain and abroad, including National Museum of Wales in Cardiff; Towner Art Gallery in Eastbourne; Victoria & Albert Museum; and Yale University, in America.