Tomma Abts Abstract Art isn't a "Knock Out" - but It is OK.

German born artist Tomma Abts won the much vaunted Turner Prize In December 2006. By doing so she made history as the first ever woman to do so. In order for Tomma Abts to triumph in the 2006 Turner Prize she had to overcome three other splendid finalists.

Namely these were - film maker Phil Collins (...not the Genesis guy...), "billboard artist" Mark Titchner & last but not least Rebecca Warren a sculptress to note. The last named was actually the favourite to win with many bookmakers.

In the end good fortune - and the judges smiled on Tomma Abts. Tomma won 25,000 - surely a welcome addition to her bank account - and the prize itself. However the exposure Tomma Abts will receive from winning is worth much more than the cash - or so it's often said. I tend to agree.

What does Tomma Abts do? Well she actually paints abstract art; usually in oils or acrylics. - something of a novelty for the Turner Prize - some would say! Tomma Abts was originally selected for her solo art exhibitions at Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland, and Greengrassi, London.

The Tate Gallery has lauded her "rigorous and consistent approach to painting" .Furthermore this prestigous gallery comments on the "intimate and compelling canvases" of Tomma Abts and how she "enriches the language of abstract art"....I think they like her - a lot!

With such fullsome praise for Tomma around - it isn't difficult to see why she won the 2006 Turner Prize. As for my thoughts?...well - I think Tomma Abts is "OK" without being "KO".

The images or paintings of Tomma Abts are created by the repetiton of various geometrical shapes on a base of rich colour. Personally - I don't think that Tomma's approach to painting is particularly original. However I have to admit that while not being "knock out" I find some of Tomma's images pretty compelling and touching. I have to say that this does surprise me.

I don't really know why - but each Tomma Abts painting measures exactly 48 x 38 cms. However I can see that this makes for more concentrated or focused artwork. Only Tomma herself knows why she opted for these exact measurements.

The titles of art works by Tomma Abts - such as "Veeke" are said to be simply lifted from a dictionary of German first names! Well why not? It beats just giving her paintings numbers!

All in all I think that Tomma Abts creates abstract art that is pretty accessible to the public at large. This is something that perhaps could not be said about the artwork of previous Turner Prize winners! I base my opinion of course on Tomma's prize winning paintings. I would go further and state that I cannot conceive of a Tomma Abts creation offending anyone - even slightly.

In the final analysis I think it's quite possible that Tomma Abts could develop into a household "art name" - a bit like Damian Hirst - before she shuffles off this mortal coil...On the other hand she could simply vanish in a thrice, without trace, from our minds and our media. As I see it - exactly the same reasons could result in either outcome.

Article Source: http://www.articlemonk.com

About The Author: Flo Cordon loves Art. Read her fascinating writing on 2006 Turner Prize Winner Tomma Abts. Flo represents a whole new perspective on Abstract Art.
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