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.
In no particular order of importance these were - sculptress Rebecca Warren who was the fancied hot favourite with many bookies, "billboard artist" Mark Titchner - and finally film maker Phil Collins...(No not him of Genesis fame!).
By winning the Turner prize Tomma Abts added a cool 25,000 pounds sterling to her bank balance. However it's often said that when it comes to the Turner Prize the exposure one gets from winning is worth far more than the cash value...
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.
Tomma Abts has been praised by no less than the Tate Gallery who describes her canvases as "intimate" and "compelling". They also comment on Tomma's "consistent" and even "rigorous" method of painting. In addition the Tate states that Tomma Abts "enriches the language of abstract art".
With such praise heaped upon her head it's no surprise to me that she won the prize. However I actually feel that Tomma's abstract artwork isn't "knock out" but it definitely is OK.
Tomma Abts creates her works through repeating geometric shapes and figures on layers of rich colours. I don't consider this a particularly original way to paint. That being said I do find that some of Tomma's artwork work does actually move me in unexpected ways.
Curiously - every work by Tomma Abts is said to measure precisely 48 x 38 cms...I'm told that there's nothing particularly significant about these dimensions. She just likes that size!
When creating titles for her paintings apparently Tomma simply plucks one from a dictionary of German first names! Titles like "Veeke" for example were created in this way. In my view this is surely only slightly more interesting than numbering each picture!
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 end it's just my personal opinion but I do believe that it's entirely posible that Tomma Abts will go on to become a household name - within her own lifetime...Of course she could also disappear without trace from the media - and our minds in the blink of an eye, for precisely the same reasons.
About The Author: Flo Cordon loves Art. Read her fascinating writing on 2006 Turner Prize Winner Tomma Abts. Flo provides a whole new perspective on Abstract Art.
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