Tomma Abts
Encyclopedia
Tomma Abts is a German-born abstract
painter who won the Turner Prize
in 2006.
, England
.
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. 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. 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.”
, awarded by the Tate
in London
. The Tate Gallery
has 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." Abts is represented by greengrassi, London and by David Zwirner
, New York.
Abstract art
Abstract art uses a visual language of form, color and line to create a composition which may exist with a degree of independence from visual references in the world. Western art had been, from the Renaissance up to the middle of the 19th century, underpinned by the logic of perspective and an...
painter who won the Turner Prize
Turner Prize
The Turner Prize, named after the painter J. M. W. Turner, is an annual prize presented to a British visual artist under the age of 50. Awarding the prize is organised by the Tate gallery and staged at Tate Britain. Since its beginnings in 1984 it has become the United Kingdom's most publicised...
in 2006.
Early life
Abts was born in Kiel in Germany and currently lives and works in LondonLondon
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
.
Work
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. 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 over all 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.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. 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. 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.”
Turner Prize
Abts is the winner of the 2006 Turner Prize2006 Turner Prize
This article is about the 2006 Turner Prize for British contemporary art.There were four nominees for the prize and the winner was Tomma Abts.The nominees in alphabetical order were:...
, awarded by the Tate
Tate
-Places:*Tate, Georgia, a town in the United States*Tate County, Mississippi, a county in the United States*Táté, the Hungarian name for Totoi village, Sântimbru Commune, Alba County, Romania*Tate, Filipino word for States...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
. The Tate Gallery
Tate Gallery
The Tate is an institution that houses the United Kingdom's national collection of British Art, and International Modern and Contemporary Art...
has 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." Abts is represented by greengrassi, London and by David Zwirner
David Zwirner
David Zwirner is a gallerist and art dealer and owner of the David Zwirner Gallery in New York City. In 2010 Zwirner was listed at number four in the ArtReview annual "Power 100" list.-Early Life:...
, New York.
Solo Exhibitions
- habitat, Kings Road, London (1998)
- greengrassi, London (2005, 2002, 1999)
- Galerie Giti Nourbakhsch, Berlin (2004, 2001)
- The Wrong Gallery, New York (2003)
- Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Koln (2006, 2003)
- Galerie Giti Nourbakhsch, Berlin (2009, 2004)
- Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin (2005)
- Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland (2005)
- Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Koln (2006)
- Kunsthalle zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany (2006)
- David Zwirner, New York (2008)
- New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York (2008)
- Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2008)
Selected Group Exhibitions
- Galerie neugerriemschneider, Berlin: “filmcuts” (1995)
- 520 King Street West, Toronto: “Fast” (1996)
- Norwich Art Gallery, Norwich: “The Vauxhall Gardens” (1998)
- greengrassi, London: “Honey, I rearranged the collection” and “Origin of Parties” (2003, 1998)
- Galerie Krinzinger, Wien: “Limit Less” (1999)
- Spacex Gallery, Exeter: “Etcetera”(1999)
- “Egofugal” 7th International Istanbul Biennial, Istanbul (2001)
- Alliston Skirt Gallery, Boston: “The Devil is in the Detail” (2001)
- Marc Foxx Gallery, Los Angeles: “Tomma Abts & Vincent Vecteau” (2002)
- Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Koln: "Quodlibet II," “Mullberg,"and “Richard Hawkins & Tomma Abts, Lecia Dole-Racio, Morgan Fisher, James Hayward” (2009, 2004, 2002)
- Galerie Giti Nourbakhsch, Berlin: “Hot, Blue & Righteous” (2003)
- Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt: “deutschemalereizweitausenddrei” (2003)
- Lucky Tackle, Oakland, California: “Black Rainbow” (2003)
- Van Abbemuseum, Eindhoven: “journal #7” with Vincent Fecteau (2004)
- Kunstverein Hamburg, Hamburg: “Formalismus. Moderne Kunst heute” (2004)
- Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh: “54th Carnegie International” (2004–2005)
- Hayward Gallery, London: (Wanderausstellung) “British Art Show 6” (2005)
- 4th Berlin Biennale for Contemporary Art: “Of Mice and Men” (2006)
- 6th Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai: “Hyper Design” (2006)
- Tate Britain, London: "Turner Prize: A Retrospective" (2007)
- Moscow Museum of Modern Art: "Turner Prize: A Retrospective" (2007)
- Mori Art Museum, Tokyo: "Turner Prize: A Retrospective" (2007)
- David Zwirner, New York: "The Gallery" (2008)
- 4th Tirana Biennial: The Symbolic Efficiency of the Frame, Tirana, Albania (2009)
- Museum Morsbroich, Leverkusen, Germany: "Slow Paintings" (2009)
- CCS Bard Hessel Museum of Art, Annandale-On-Hudson, New York: "At Home/Not At Home: Works from the Collection of Martin and Rebecca Eisenberg" (2010)