Tomma Abts

:"This article is about an artist named Tomma Abts. For the chemical 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid), see ABTS."

Tomma Abts (born 1967) is a German artist and abstract painter living and working in London, England.

Tomma Abts was born in Kiel, Germany.

She is the winner of the 2006 Turner Prize, having been selected for her solo exhibitions at Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland, and greengrassi, 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 works in acrylic and oil, often building up her designs from repetitive geometrical elements.

The titles of her paintings are derived from a dictionary of German first names. She also claims that all of her work pieces measure 48×38cm.

She is represented by greengrassi gallery in south-east London.

Artistic Style

Abts’ style can be classified as abstract, but also in opposition to Germany’s Neo-Expressionist figurative painting. [Esplund, Lance. “Shadow Play.” New York Sun 2008 April 10: 17.] 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. [cite web|url=http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/11/arts/design/11abts.html?ref=arts|title="Little Canvases That Contain Worlds"|author=Johnson, Ken|publisher=New York Times|date=2008-04-11]

All of Abts’ paintings are 48 x 38 centimeters of oil and acrylic. She claims that this is the size and style that works for her. [cite web|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/entertainment/6205970|title="German painter wins Turner Prize"|publisher=BBC News|date=2006-12-5|accessdate=2008-04-16] 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. [Esplund, Lance. “Shadow Play.” New York Sun 2008 April 10: 17.] . 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.” [cite web|url=http://www.cmoa.org/international/the_exhibition/artist.asp?abts|title="Tomma Abts"|publisher=Carnegie International|accessdate=2008-04-16]

Exhibitions/Career Timeline

[ [http://artnews.org/artist.php?i=3154 Artnews.org Tomma Abts Exhibitions] ]
* Schwabsky, Barry. “Vitamin P: New Perspectives in Painting”, book includes Abts (2004)

* Tate Britain, awarded Turner Prize (2006)

olo 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 (2004)

* Douglas Hyde Gallery, Dublin (2005)

* Kunsthalle Basel, Switzerland (2005) [cite web|url=http://www.kunsthallebasel.ch/exhibitions/archive/18|title="Tomma Abts"|publisher=Kunsthalle Basel|accessdate=2008-04-16]

* Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Koln (2006)

* Kunsthalle zu Kiel, Kiel, Germany (2006)

* David Zwirner, New York (2008) [ [http://www.davidzwirner.com/ David Zwirner] ]

* New Museum of Contemporary Art, New York (2008) [ [http://www.newmuseum.org New Museum of Contemporary Art] ]

* Hammer Museum, Los Angeles (2008) [ [http://www.hammer.ucla.edu/exhibitions/144/ Hammer Museum] ]

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) [ [http://www.marcfoxx.com/ Marc Foxx] ]

* Galerie Daniel Buchholz, Koln “Mullberg” and “Richard Hawkins & Tomma Abts, Lecia Dole-Racio, Morgan Fisher, James Hayward” (2004, 2002)

* Galerie Giti Nourbakhsch, Berlin “Hot, Blue & Righteous” (2003)

* Frankfurter Kunstverein, Frankfurt “deutschemalereizweitausenddrei” (2003)

* Lucky Tackle, Oakland, CA “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) [ [http://www.berlinbiennial.de/index.php?option=com_content&task=blogcategory&id=40&Itemid=83 Berlin Biennial] ]

* 6th Shanghai Biennale, Shanghai Art Museum, Shanghai “Hyper Design” (2006) [cite web|url=http://universes-in-universe.de/car/shanghai/english.htm|title="Shanghai Biennale"|publisher=Universes in Universe|accessdate=2008-04-16]

External links

* [http://www.greengrassi.com/abts.php Greengrassi Gallery: Tomma Abts]
* [http://www.davidzwirner.com/artists/74/ David Zwirner: Tomma Abts]
* [http://www.tate.org.uk/britain/turnerprize/2006/ Turner Prize 2006]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/turnerprize2006/story/0,,1964120,00.html Guardian: Tomma Abts (12/2006)]
* [http://arts.guardian.co.uk/turnerprize2006/story/0,,1965096,00.html Interview (12/2006)]

References