Tomma Abts

Tomma Abts

Veeke, 2005
Born 1967 (age 47–48)
Kiel, West Germany
Nationality German
Known for Painting

Tomma Abts (born 1967) is a German-born visual artist who is particularly well known for her abstract oil paintings. Abts won the Turner Prize in 2006.[1] The artist currently lives and works in London, England.[2]

Early life and education

Abts was born in 1967 in Kiel, Germany,[1] to a teacher in a primary school and a gynecologist.[3] Between 1989-1995 Abts attended the Hochschule der Künste Berlin.[1] She has been living in London since 1995,[4] and she maintains a studio in Clerkenwell, which she has occupied since she first came to London on a grant.[3] It was only by 2002 that she was able to live solely off her art.[3]

Work

Starting each of her works without a preconceived idea, knowing only the size of the canvas and her materials,[5] Abts works in acrylic and oil, often building up her designs from repetitive geometrical elements. Her style can be classified as abstract, but also in opposition to Germany’s Neo-Expressionist figurative painting.[6] None of her paintings are representational. There are no references to nature, the world or any other theme. The abstraction in her paintings is supported by the lack of detail and an overall retro feel. The paintings do not follow the traditional rules of abstract art though. They involve complex shapes that are layered and woven in different ways with added highlights, shadows and sense of depth.[7]

Abts used to work on canvasses of all sizes.[3] Since the early 2000s, all of Abts’ paintings are 48 x 38 centimeters and the titles of her paintings are derived from a dictionary of German first names. She has said that this is the size and style that works for her.[8] Each work takes on a color scheme that is rich and somewhat neutral. The colors are not obviously vibrant and work with each other’s tones within each work of art.[6] Abts creates a 3D effect by continually and meticulously layering and working up each painting. The works are thickly painted, almost over-painted, which gives a hint of something created by trial and error. It seems as though the layers of paint could be covering up something underneath the finished product. “Abts approaches each canvas without preconception, building up layers of paint until a form crystallizes.”[9] Abts takes a long time to produce her works, and she is not prolific.[10]

Recognition

Abts is the winner of the 2006 Turner Prize, awarded by the Tate, London.[8] The Tate Gallery praised "her rigorous and consistent approach to painting" and added "Through her intimate and compelling canvases she builds on and enriches the language of abstract painting."[11] The other artists on the shortlist in 2006 were Rebecca Warren, Phil Collins (artist), and Mark Titchner.[1] Abts was the first woman painter to win the award.

Exhibitions

Solo Exhibitions

Selected Group Exhibitions

Collections

Abts' work is represented in public collections internationally, including the Art Institute of Chicago; Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania; Hammer Museum, Los Angeles; Museum of Modern Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Staatsgalerie Stuttgart; Tate Gallery, London; and the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis, Minnesota.[5]

Art market

Abts is represented by greengrassi, London[22] and by David Zwirner, New York.[2]

See also

References

  1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 "Turner Prize 2006: artists, Tomma Abts", Tate, Retrieved 18 August 2014.
  2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Tomma Abts at David Zwirner
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 Emma Brockes (December 6, 2006), 'I'm sure they were thinking it was time a woman won' The Guardian.
  4. ↑ Tom Teodorczuk (December 5, 2006), Turner Prize returns to artistic roots London Evening Standard.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Tomma Abts, September 10 - October 25, 2014 David Zwirner, New York.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 Esplund, Lance. "Shadw Play", 10 April 2008, The New York Sun, Retrieved 18 August 2014
  7. ↑ Johnson, Ken (11 April 2008). "Little Canvases That Contain Worlds". New York Times.
  8. ↑ 8.0 8.1 "German painter wins Turner Prize". BBC News. 5 December 2006. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
  9. ↑ "Tomma Abts". Carnegie International. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
  10. ↑ Ken Johnson (April 11, 2008), Little Canvases That Contain Worlds New York Times.
  11. ↑ "Turner Prize 2006". Tate. 2006. Retrieved 14 October 2010.
  12. ↑ "Tomma Abts". Kunsthalle Basel. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
  13. ↑ Tomma Abts at the New Museum of Contemporary Art
  14. ↑ Tomma Abts at Kunsthalle Düsseldorf
  15. ↑ Tomma Abts at greengrassi
  16. ↑ Tomma Abts at Galerie Buchholz
  17. ↑ Tomma Abts at David Zwirner
  18. ↑ Tomma Abts at Aspen Art Museum
  19. ↑ Marc Foxx
  20. ↑ Berlin Biennial
  21. ↑ "Shanghai Biennale". Universes in Universe. Retrieved 16 April 2008.
  22. ↑ "greengrassi: Tomma Abts", greengrassi, Retrieved 18 August 2014.

External links