In the last few years, exhibitions
of abstract works by Black artists have popped up all over the country.
He makes
abstract works in a new way, handmade paintings that are so eye dazzling and surreal as to look like fancy digital prints.
I often look at
abstract work by younger artists who are producing many works and I have no such experience.
Many sculptors and painters who focus on process also
create abstract work, a mode historically associated with male artists.
For whatever reason there are many artists right now who are really good at
making abstract works of various kinds, whether pure painting or the materials explorations seen here.
For my fashion illustrations I love using hot press paper because of its smooth surface and
for abstract work I prefer cold press paper with rough texture.
Some of the paintings refer to
earlier abstract work in which he was referencing the landscape with a strong horizon.
The works are bold and bright, but still flirting with some of his
most abstract works to date.
Inspired loosely by cosmic science fiction, the two artists
new abstract work was created using various mediums and was all in black and white.
CM: Three small
abstract works at the entrance of the exhibition introduce the only colour in this otherwise monochrome exhibition.
This collection of his paintings is a departure from this theme and includes stylized portraits as well as
purely abstract works in his signature palette of black, white and red.
As you will see, in addition to his usual action - packed landscapes, there were also some interesting
abstract works included in this new body of work.
He became widely known for his innovative and delicate
abstract works which are composed in a particular style called white writing.
I had been
doing abstract works for a long time and began to go to these workshops which introduced me to an idea of a spontaneous, intuitive way of painting.
I paint
mostly abstract work, I'm experiencing with new techniques at the moment but still in oils..
In 1973, he began exclusively making
abstract work based on the grid format, initially using watercolor on paper and then industrial paint on raw canvas.
They expressed their personal observations of the landscape in what are by and large
highly abstract works.
The juxtaposition of ancient figurative art and
contemporary abstract works on paper provides a unique viewing opportunity and a stunning visual contrast.
This
beautiful abstract work brings a splash of bright colors to the space while turning an ordinary hallway into a visual attraction.
Very bright and almost overwhelming, this is an awesome and
almost abstract work that is highly decorative and shows the artist at the top of his form.
And I don't think these things enter into paintings of, say, the figure, or text, or
even abstract work in the same way.
But this form is so elusive that not one of the panels ever loses its identity as a
wholly abstract work of art.
The artist works concurrently on different formal possibilities, producing
abstract works alongside the more figurative.
Many contemporary landscape paintings - despite having some faint similarity with elements of the natural world - are
really abstract works.
One of his
signature abstract works hangs nearby and it's clear to see how the colours in the Indian paintings have influenced his own work.
Now I also paint
directly abstract works without having a set installed in front of me, as I had done for many years.
Using paint, pastels, and found objects, we'll paint in response to our surroundings, creating
expressive abstract works of art that capture our feelings of the mountains in the moment.
There's even good precedent in the success of
abstract work over the last few years by younger artists who produced at similar volumes.