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'''Appreciating Centennial Abstraction An Insight into Contemporary Abstract Art.''' Kym Tabulo

Bio: Dr Kym Tabulo specialises in the field of contemporary abstract art as an independent researcher, Art teacher and a practising abstract artist. Her doctoral thesis investigates several forms of abstract sequential art, which includes abstract comics.

Copyright belongs to Kym Tabulo, 2019.

Appreciating Centennial Abstraction

Art educators are required to offer their students diverse ways to understand art. One way is through investigating the field of abstract art. The following information can be used to start discussions about contemporary abstract artworks. The first thing to do is to place the field within its historic context. Next is to consider ways of appreciating contemporary abstract art, with special attention given to the compositional approaches, subject matter and themes generally employed by current practitioners. Narrowing the focus further, the process of semiotic analysis will be presented as a way to gain a deeper appreciation of the artwork. Finally a personal case study will be presented.

How can abstract art keep adapting and evolving?

In 1923 Paul Klee said,

The artist today is more than an official photographer trained to the pitch of perfection; he [she] is more complicated, more rich and greater in stature. He [she] is a creature living on the earth, a creature living at the centre of the universe — that is to say a creature on a star among other stars. 1

Today the abstract art pioneer would marvel at the increasing number of abstract artist-stars and he may also agree with art historian, Pepe Karmel’s proclamation that now is ¬¬the golden age of abstraction. 2 If this is so, how have abstract painting and drawing continued to evolve? What do they look like and what are they called? 3 Thus far there are no confirmed titles for this current art era and its companion field of abstract art. So for the propose of this discussion, I propose the terms Millennialism, as the overall era, and Centennial Abstraction, to mark the anniversary of this one hundred year old genre and its progress into its next century. It is envisaged that in time singular art movements will emerge, and it is a privilege to be an observer and a participant in the earliest years of a new era.

Before we embrace the new, let us undertake a précis of abstract art history to set the scene. Today it would be difficult to imagine our visual art culture without the existence of abstract art. As a recognised artistic field, it originated in the early 20th century, during the art era known as Modernism. In particular from c.1910 and the first purely abstract works of Russian born artists Wassily Kandinsky and Kazmir Malevich. These men operated independently of each other and were very different in intention and style. However, history was rewritten in the 1980s with the revelation of even earlier abstract paintings and drawings by a Swedish woman, Hilma af Klint, who made over 1200 works between c.1905 and 1944. She regarded them as sacred diagrams to be interpreted as messages from her spiritual high masters. They are now celebrated as significant abstract artworks.

Although at the beginning, creating abstract art was controversial, artists took up its challenges, and in time several distinct abstract art movements emerged and evolved to produce what later became collectively known Abstract Modernism. Its history is well documented and critiqued by experts such as Clement Greenberg who initially championed abstract art, but later became less committed. This loss of favour highlights the vulnerability of abstract art and explains why artists have continued to change and adapt, so that they progress and stay relevant. Such adaptations have happened throughout the history of abstract art, demonstrated by the documented movements of Abstract Modernism. These include Orphism, Suprematism, Constructivism, Der Blaue Reiter, and Neo-Plasticism (c. 1910-1930), followed by others in and beyond Europe, such as Abstract Expressionism, Colour Field, Minimalism, Geometric and Op Art (c. 1940-1970), and Post-Painterly Abstraction (c. 1965-1975).

These distinctive idioms of abstraction helped test and advance the boundaries of visual art until by the late 1960s a new wave of artists began to destabilised Modernism and Abstract Modernism by accepting that anything constructed as art is art. With this, the Modernists' aesthetic intentions were denigrated, except of course, those of the

Dadaists and Marcel Duchamp who famously said, “There is no solution because there is no problem”. However artists of this next era did see problems, and their solutions, like the Dadaists, were unconventional. Known as Postmodernism, it began to shape the way art was produced and received. In general, they believed that Modernism did not support minority groups and the disenfranchised masses. Therefore they chose to embrace multiple aesthetic truths as being valid, making all values equal. As an era it encompasses several different art movements such as, Feminism, Poststructuralism, and Postcolonialism, in which artists specifically created their work to make critical observations and ironic comments about the world around them, as opposed to it being a secondary or sometimes unintended outcome.

Generally, Postmodernist artists favoured working with subject matter based on figurative sources and popular culture, while appropriating anything other cultures could add to the mix, making it both eclectic and pluralistic. Although the regard for abstract art diminished during this time, abstract artists continued to engage with the zeitgeist and evolve their genre. The collective term for these new forms of abstract art is Postmodern Abstraction and gradually abstract artists became noticed again by producing significant works. For example, in 1991 twenty abstract artists were exhibited in a successful exhibition titled Conceptual Abstraction, at the Sidney Janis Gallery of New York. These artists began to introduce new compositional structures to their Postmodern abstract works that included decorative patterning, direct appropriation and geometric constructions, which proved that abstract painting was pushing the boundaries once again. 4

Using examples from this exhibition, I will highlight some of the compositional structures used to convey Postmodern ideas. For instances, Valerie Jaudon’s painting Social Contract (1992) is an example of the how geometric, pattern constructions were used by Postmodern abstract artists to convey ideas about isolation, discrimination, self and context. Another painting, The Distorted Gaze of Desire (1991) by Shirley Kaneda’s gives expression to the recurring theme of agitation. She uses incongruent shapes, colours and patterns to produce meaning through discord, and a jarring of visual sensation. In addition, the theme of survival emerges out of Desert Flowers (1990) by Phillip Taaffe who repeats and overlays decorative patterning of images that may be disparate. In this case, the beauty and the barbs of the flowers are used as a thematic metaphor. These artworks exemplify the difference in intention and style of Postmodern Abstraction, to those of Abstract Modernism.

This era manifested anti-establishment, underground art groups, as well as the technological ‘geek’ culture. Art theorist Paul Crowther cites this as a significant influence on abstract artists. In particular computers and video ‘gaming’ were sources of inspiration. He uses the label of techno-nature to describe this Postmodernist concept. 5 However, like preceding art eras, the momentum of Postmodernism did not last. By the time one billion people were accessing the Internet, the public and artistic interest in the era had already started to wane. It was no surprise when in 2006 Postmodernism was declared dead by art academics Alan Kirby 6 and Dena Shottenkirk 7, or perhaps, I suggest that it was undergoing a transition into the present era of Millennialism. Today this appears to be the case, and in these early years there is the inevitable overlap of eras. It is predicted that eventually Postmodernism and Millennialism will clearly diverge.

The current positive status of abstract art within the visual art culture was not predicted in the 1990s, because abstract art really did endured some challenges during the height of Postmodernism. However it survives and prospers by adopting and combining aspects of Postmodern Abstraction and Abstract Modernism to produce original works. With this progress the new era of Centennial Abstraction is developing, albeit somewhat fragmented because in general, most artists work individually, with few group affiliations. However, one movement that has started is the small global community of abstract comics artists, championed by Andrei Molotui in his 2009 book, An Anthology of Abstract Comics.8 He places the movement within an historical context and provides a brief manifesto and a blog site. In so doing the establishment of the Abstract Comics movement creates a new visual art aesthetic and theory. As with any emerging movement, its impact and influence will always be more apparent in retrospect.

Furthermore, abstract comics inspired my investigation and documentation of abstract sequential art as a unique 21st century genre.9 Some of its sub-genres are abstract polyptych and pseudo-polyptych paintings, abstract artists books, abstract gallery comics and abstract comics, graphic novels and zines. A suitably in-depth discussion of these is beyond the scope of this study. (see notes 9 for this information). They are mentioned here to support the theory that Centennial Abstraction is vivant i.e. relevant and alive. In addition it could be said that a good proportion of the personal theory Centennial abstract artists generate develops independently of others as they reflexively analyse their work and communicate their intentions through the ubiquitous Artist Statement didactics or websites or practice-based theses. In turn, these highly personal insights may help art students write about Centennial Abstraction artists and artworks.

'''Abstract Drawing ''' Another significant aspect of this era is abstract drawing. Since Postmodernism, drawing in all its forms has been revitalised and transformed. Traditional drawing is no longer merely a precursor to a finished work but has emerged as a vibrant and independent medium. The purpose, range and scale of drawings have been altered because they are now created and exhibited as autonomous artworks, sometimes with their raw edges pinned to the gallery wall. Some contemporary abstract drawing styles with two exemplar artists are: calligraphic artworks — Eugenia Di Meo and Parastou Forouhar‎;  the eclectic styles of Asemic writing —  Rosaire Appel and Tim Gaze; drawn abstract comics and graphic novels — Anders Pearson and Nina Roos; abstract sequential art drawings — pioneer artist Pierre Alechinsky and Kym Tabulo; and painted-drawings or drawn-paintings styles — Julie Mehretu and Barry Reigate. It can be said that 21st century abstract drawing is a phenomenon in itself; as such there are art prizes and exhibitions that are exclusively dedicated to drawing.

'''Abstract Compositional Approaches ''' In addition Centennials are developing their abstract compositional approaches through innovation, and by adapting one hundred years of ideas. A selection is listed below, keeping in mind that there are more, and some of these approaches are based on established concepts.10 (Images of examples cited throughout this discussion can be viewed on the internet.)

Abstract artists books — mostly wordless unique books with abstract images that are created and reproduced in a variety of ways and configurations, e.g. Rosaire Appel, Marking Time (2017); Gary Colin, Simulations (2017); Golnaz Fathi, Folded Books (2015). Abstract comics — a form of abstract sequential art that combines abstract art with comics conventions, and produced in book form, zines or online, or hung on the gallery wall. e.g., Multi-Authored Graphic Novel, A Kick In The Eye (2013); Gareth A Hopkins, Found Forrest Raw (2018); Kym Tabulo, What would Paul Klee Say? (2016).

Abstract sequential art — a configuration of a number of sequentially juxtaposed abstract images, on one or multiple picture planes, that focus on form and technique to induce a sequential rhythm that suggests sequence, transition, and the passage of time, e.g., Michael Cutlip, Composite (2017); Shane Pickett, Calling for Rain – the Wanyarang Suit (2007); Kym Tabulo, The Drift of Impure Thoughts (2014).

Abstract street art — artwork made on street walls, or street art derivative paintings on canvas, e.g. MOMO, Desert Gold (2015); Darren John, Garden Wall (2018); MadC, Montreal Mural Festival (2017).

All-of-wall — artwork that covers the whole room wall, floor and ceiling, but is not street art style, e.g., Ingrid Calame, Tracks (2013); Louisa Bufardeci, (In a very short space of time through very short times of space) the universe devolves into a string (2012); Parastou Forouhar, Written Wall (2012).

Appropriation — creating new work using images, words or objects belonging to another person or culture, e.g., Rivane Neuenschwander Zé Carioca, No.4 (2004); Peter Saul, Francis Bacon Descending a Staircase (2012); Kym Tabulo, Double Happiness Dreams (2018).

Collabs — online or actual collaborations between a number of artists to create a shared artwork, eg. Emma Biggs and Matthew Collings, Harp and Organ (2016); Ken Family Collaborative, Seven Sisters (2016).

Divided picture plane — the dissection of one picture plane into grids or panels, e.g., Richard Kalina, Azimuth, (2011); Lee Bethel, Sylvan (2018); John Firth-Smith, Foundations 15 (2016).

Drawn-paintings or painted-drawings — the combination of drawing and painting e.g., Julie Mehretu, Sehkmet (2013); Barry Reigate, It Does Dunnit (2018); Sam Vernon, How Ghosts Sleep (2014).

Horror-vacui-plus — artwork that covers a picture plane and leaves no voids, and may have an incongruent embellishment or words, e.g., Natasha Bowdoin, Mason H (2014); Lester Monzon, Untitled #27 (2014); Savanhdary Vongpoothorn, Ramayana on the Mekong (2016).

Hybrid — combines aspects of representation, or cultural icons, with abstraction, e.g., Diana Cooper, Advent (2012-13). Arie Hellendoorn, Electro Fuzz Variation (2015); TV Moore, Bret Easton Ellis (2012).

Hyper Hardedge — ramped up Hardedge and/or Op art, e.g., Katy Gilmore, Parallel Planes Intersection Landscaper (2015); Col Jordan, Symmertrist 2 (2017); Jacob Leary, Checked Square (2016).

Inset — an initial composition is dislocated by the insertion of another image, which creates a discordant configuration, e.g., Reza Derakshani, Titanic 1979 (2013); Denise Green, The Saar (and Subjectivity) Section 2 (2014); Julian Hooper, Verse (2012).

Layering or overlay — the multi-layering of images or text that maybe harmonious, or are not integrated by colour, style or scale, and may cause a disparity, e.g., Trudy Benson, Dot, Diamond, Dash (2012); Tony Curran, Between Me and a Good Time (2017); Marisa Purcell, Tessellate (2018).

Radical Edges — the use of picture planes that are not the traditional rectangle, square or circle, or works with torn or raw edges, or work with no borders, e.g., Samara Adamson-Pinczewski, Maligned (2018); Mary Heilmann, Firey Pour (2011); Gregory Hodge, Untitled-Suspension Painting (2017).

Re-contextualization — the intentional placement of images, text or objects to create a new context, e.g., Mark Badger, Abstract Kriby (2013); Lydia Dona, Levels in Momentum (2012); David Ratcliffe, Mirror 3 (2008).

Repeated motif — an image is repeated, that can be irregular or overlapped, as a compositional device, e.g., Bast, Goat Tex (2010); John Pule, In Preparation For That Promise (2007); Charline von Heyl, Nunez (2017).

Representin’ — the strategy of self-expression that proclaims personal or group history, culture and ethical opinions. e.g., Dale Harding, Wall composition in Reckitt's Blue (2017); Khaled Sabsabi, A Self-Portrait (2014-2018); Seb Toussaint, Share the Word Project (2012-2018).

Another important aspect of Centennial Abstraction is that artists have the choice of working with traditional and new materials including digital technology, so the range of developmental possibilities and potential media available for expressing creative concepts is greatly enhanced. This is evidenced in the work of Christian Lock, Untitled 4 (2013), for which he uses synthetic polymer, digital print holographic material on PVC draped over a wooden stretcher. Examining the use of new materials and compositional approaches are useful ways to engage others in understanding, discussing and making abstract art that has a contemporary nuance. The same can be said for investigations into the themes and subject matter that occur in Centennial Abstraction.

Themes and Subject Matter

By focusing on the popular art themes since the 1980s, Jean Robertson and Craig McDaniel have framed a way to understand contemporary art practice.11 In their 2017 book, they list eight central thematic categories: Body, Identity, Language Memory, Place, Science, Spirituality and Time. Although the authors do not link these themes directly to abstract art, investigating these categories and their sub-themes help establish possible thematic trends in Centennial Abstraction and Millennialism. Being able to find out what is ‘trending' in contemporary culture is beneficial, and confirms that abstract works are often displayed in local galleries worldwide or on websites and social media. To further understand why abstract art continues to be relevant it is also useful to consider the subject matter of contemporary abstract art identified by Karmel. He offers six basic classifications, which may overlap. Three refer to nature: cosmologies, landscapes, and anatomies. Another three refer to culture: fabrics, architectures, and signs.

Karmel proposes that abstract artists who work within the category of anatomies do not usually represent the whole human or animal form. Instead they use forms that may suggest anatomical parts, systems of the body, and products of bodily functions. Whereas others use colours and forms that imply anatomical shapes, for example, Kristen Baker, The Prig (2008) and Sue Williams, Yes We Can (2018). The same can be said for artists who draw inspiration from landscapes. Recognisable landscapes and related imagery are not essential. Such works use compositional elements and principles of art and design to evoke images of the natural environment for example, Jacob Feige, Dogwood – Nocturne (2013), Shirley Kaneda, Detached Affection (2012) and Clare Woods, The Bloody Kernel (2011). Artworks that reflect a cosmological subject may base their work on spiritual, astrological or astronomical symbolism, or use colours and forms that suggest cosmological visions or awaken themes such as dynamism, tranquillity, transcendence, or social escapism for example, Bill Komoski, 3/11/10 (2010), Lindy Lee, Conflagrations From the End of Time (5) (2009) and Kym Tabulo, 40,000 Light Years (2017).

Conceivably less ethereal are works that suggest architecture, which use structural or mechanical references, and may convey metaphorical messages about contemporary humanity from either the artist’s personal experience or as a fictional exposé, for example, Robin Ault, Careful Awareness (2017) and Peter Halley, Fair Game (2010). The category of fabrics uses compositional patterning techniques reminiscent of the Arts and Craft movement. Works in this category might suggest repeat patterns, even though they are irregular or overlayed, for example, Valerie Jaudon, Circa (2012) and Philip Taaffe, Earth Star I (2013). Finally, the category of signs encompasses work that uses text, maps, diagrams or symbols, perhaps with incongruent images to illustrate the experiences of living in a contemporary society or as a way of bypassing it, for example, Michael Bradford, Habitual (2009) and Michael Jeffery, Borderline (2013).

'''Other Features of Centennial Abstraction ''' Applying the variety of compositional approaches, the themes and subject matter categories previously listed to more than fifty randomly chosen works proves that these classifications provide a useful way to analyse abstract works. Other factors about Centennial Abstraction to consider are derivatives of previous eras and yet they are distinctive. Firstly, more often now galleries seek to attract audiences through specular art events, therefore it can be difficult to differentiate between art as entertainment and art as meaning. So another way to investigate Centennial Abstraction is to consider this shift in emphasis from thinking about meaning — to creating spectacular artworks. A reason for the change is that hyper-aesthetic sensations place people in an altered state of mind allowing them time to forget reality, which is an aim of contemporary art. This is not to dismiss the fact that there is real meaning in today’s art. What is recognised here is the additional fact that 21st century artists have had to respond to the digital-age-hyper-mediated phenomenon that has produced viewers who expect an elevated level of sensory stimulation, including the opportunity for audience participation. This need for art to cause hyper-aesthetic

stimulation has given rise to the highly produced art forms that require the artist to invest time, ingenuity and money into into the work, for example the 2010 abstract work, Paramodelic-Graffiti by Paramodel, which proves that Centennial Abstraction can also take audiences to the next level of visual stimulation that is imbued with meaning.

Another aspect of Millennialism and Centennial Abstraction is that contemporary artists have extended the concept of inclusiveness because of the Internet. Nowadays many world regions are accessible via the Internet, allowing exchanges of ideas between artists, and with the public, at local, national and global levels. Such connections generate local-global contemporary art conversations often through the act of ‘browsing’ artists’ works. Artists share online images of their works-in-progress and finished works. Viewers are encouraged to comment and re-share as a way of forging creative global relationships. Also when digital artworks are filed in cyberspace they become permanent phenomena. It is surmised that these files will outlast traditionally stored art or those saved to hard-drives, which puts 21st Century art stored in the ‘Cloud’ into a whole new arena.

More concrete works are abstract street murals that have evolved and are becoming accepted and commissioned by owners of buildings. Also nowadays, street-art-derivative abstract paintings can be found on canvases in galleries. These facts mark a point where fine arts and graphic arts intersect, resulting in mainstream acceptance of anti-establishment underground art forms - both street art and comics art – either realistic or abstract. It seems that the general public have embraced street art as a way to enhance urban environments. When this idea is teamed with the magical qualities of projection and light box presentations, artworks are converted digitally so they can illuminate city walls. For example the Brisbane City Council’s Outdoor Gallery events transform Brisbane's laneways and streets with light box displays and projections. These allow abstract artworks to be displayed to larger audiences.

Whether traditional or cutting-edge formats, examples of Centennial Abstraction are being documented, exhibited and celebrated. The field is evolving from its predecessors, Abstract Modernism and Postmodern Abstraction. Like them, successful works by the Centennials generally emphasize the importance of abstract subject matter that are arranged in significant ways to convey themes and generate new compositional styles and presentation formats, with or without some direct reference to representation. Also, abstract artists accomplish quality work when they focus on its intrinsic meaning, and are genuinely concerned with their production processes, as well as being interested in how the artwork engages others.

'''Semiotics and Coded Visual Language Bold text''' Further to the above discussion, which considers the history, compositional approaches possible themes, subject matte and other features of Centennial Abstraction as a way to engage others in deeper discussions; it is helpful to understand how to undertake a semiotic analysis of abstract artworks. This begins when viewers think about what the signs or visual clues in an abstract artwork infer, and what this tells them. Trying to interpret abstract paintings can be more difficult that interpreting figurative works because the open nature of abstraction may at first bewilder viewers when they try to organise their thoughts, and then attempt to verbally interpret the work. Such confusion is a good thing because it can encourage contemplation and new understandings, leading to unique knowledge generated by each viewer. This knowledge of an abstract artwork through the articulation of the art conventions, elements, principles, and coded visual language by the viewer is a product of background contexts relating to such things as artistic genre, composition, culture, history, society and technical skills. These will be discussed in due course.

Firstly, one way of understanding coded visual language is known as semiotic analysis. Visual art vocabulary and visual literacy skills, based on the knowledge of the elements and principles of art and design, are used to help think about, discuss and record what visual codes mean. To formulate opinions the viewer may need to investigate cultural conventions, because visual codes can differ from one culture to another, for example a colour or shape may represent different emotions in different cultures. They also differ for each person. In addition to this, a significant point that is not always voiced because it seems obvious — that is that visual signs and symbols in abstract art can be ambiguous and may have multiple meanings. As such visual signs and symbols can be arbitrarily interpreted through personal reasoning producing subjective opinions, and can also be interpreted through factual reasoning that generates objective opinions.

Semiotic analysis gives viewers the means to decipher an abstract artwork by objectively and subjectively interpreting its ambiguous or unambiguous signs and symbols so each person can formulate opinions about the work’s context and meaning. Numbers and flags are simple examples of signs and symbols that are based on historic cultural and societal systems. Whist brand logos and emojis are examples of current visual codes that are based on popular social culture. In general, contemporary visual art audiences are willing readers of signs and symbols, decoding art compositions subconsciously and consciously as a way to find meaning. Abstract artworks can help viewers gain new insights about themselves and others. To facilitate this formally, semiotics analysis uses special terms.

For the purposes of this discussion, think of a sign or a symbol as having two parts – the objective and the subjective. The objective part of the subject matter being analysed is known as the signifier, and the subjective part is the idea this analysis produces, which is called the signified. As such the sign or the symbol comprises the signifier and the signified, where the signifier is the thing and the signified is the meaning. The relationship between the two is subjective because it is the viewer’s personal opinion. Signifiers can imply the signified. They do not actually represent it. There does not have to be an obvious or logical connection between the two. For example the colour of a shape in an abstract painting may be the signifier of an emotion. So it could be said that the signifier is the purple shape that signifies sorrow. Viewers can appraise the abstract image, identify the signifiers, think about what they signify, and discuss the signs and the symbols, and what they might mean.

Context and Coded Visual Language Reviews

In addition to semiotic analysis of abstract art, it is helpful to discuss works in terms of context and coded visual language. Further analyse of an abstract artwork can be taken by investigating each of the following contexts, keeping in mind that they are usual interconnected elements of the whole work. This is only a suggested sample and includes: biographical, compositional, critical, experiential, historical, and technical contexts, as well is the coded visual language identified in each review.

When examining the biographical context of an artwork, the focus is on the artist’s cultural, social, political, ethical associations and how these influence the work. Next the compositional context and coded visual language review relates directly to the section above concerning compositional approaches in Centennial Abstraction. If viewers are unaware of these that they can consider the abstract artwork in terms of the arrangement of the subject matter and may apply general visual art principles such as asymmetrical and symmetrical balance, rule of thirds and the golden mean. Once the compositional structure is understood then viewers can decode the artist’s use of this compositional approach. For example, what meaning does the horror-vacui-plus compositional approach imply, in a given artwork?

Critical context and coded visual language review refers to the viewer’s intellectual responses to the work. This includes articulating what he/she thinks about the work, and also what the theorists think about the work. The opposite of this is the experiential context and coded visual language review, when the viewer communicates emotional and subjective responses to the work. Furthermore the historical context and coded visual language review investigates the work’s cultural, social, political, ethical, historical and contemporary influences. The title of an artwork can help place its historical context, and then crack the historical codes. An interesting example of this is the title of the painting, Titanic 1979 by Reza Derakshani (2013), which is a triptych of an abstracted crown sinking in a sea, with one panel of appropriated poetry by Hafiz, a 14th Century Sufi poet. However, the work is no about the tragic Titanic but about the revolution in Iran in 1979. The sinking crown represents how the artist feels about his country’s loss of culture, dynasties and civilisation. It is his subjective point of view, others may not agree. This helps remind us that in general, cultural, societal and historical codes may require objective knowledge to create meaning for viewers to form balanced opinions. Finally the technical context and coded visual language review can consider the formal, generic and structural aspects of the work. Asking questions such as: is it fine art or graphic art or both, and why; what materials are used and why; how are the elements and principles used and why; and what does the level of skill signify? When considering the technical skill codes of an abstract artwork, some objective knowledge is required to appreciate the way artists apply their technical skills and flair to convey meaning. Each artistic genre has a technical skill code, especially regarding the materials and the style used to create the work. Particular materials and styles communicate certain meanings, and these may be related to the abstract artwork’s subject matter. They are open to interpretation based on viewers’ objective and subjective opinions. When people partake in any of the investigations previously discussed, I hope that they discover that the abstract artwork is irreplaceable, unique and infused with visual art codes and aesthetic significance. Centennial Abstraction is one approach chosen by artists who seek to express subjective and objective truths, and who see it as an alternative to the mimetic constructs of realism. This enables abstract art to remain relevant and alive, after a hundred years. Its appeal appears to be constant and it continues to represent the zeitgeist for a significant number of people, across many contemporary cultures. Consequently it is easy to predict that Centennial Abstraction will continue to diversify and produce the unique, distinct abstract movements of Millennialism. Case Study: Kym Tabulo and Abstract Sequential Art

As a teenager, my Art teacher first showed me the work of Paul Klee (1879-1940) and I was besotted. He immediately became my guiding star. Decades later, in 2008, I went to Tunisia to walk some way in the great artist’s footsteps and to see what he had seen. It was there in 1914 that he proclaimed, I am possessed by colour – I do not need to pursue it. I know that it will possess me forever. This is a great moment: I and colour are one. I am a painter. 12

This was indeed a significant moment in Klee’s artistic career and, like Klee, Tunisia provided a turning point in my own, more humble practice. There, in many of the same places that Klee had seen with his own eyes, I contemplated my own artistic future. Understanding that life demands that we grow, move forward and mature, I decided to return home and immerse myself in a major creative endeavour as a form of personal artistic advancement and intellectual engagement.

Shortly after my return to Australia, I was given Shaun Tan’s wordless illustrated book The Arrival. 13 One of his double page spreads is made up of sixty cloud vignettes, each in individual panels, that on first glance looked to me like a sequence of abstract images. This in turn reminded me of the abstract polyptych, Snake (1970-72) by Sidney Nolan which is displayed at the Museum of Old and New Art (MONA) in Hobart. It is an enormous work, forty-six metres long and nine meters high, comprising of 1,620 separate panels which, when seen from a distance, blend to reveal a snake-like form meandering through the whole work. I am in awe of, and inspired by, this exceptional artefact, as I am by Tan’s pages of clouds, even given the incredible differences of scale. Both works motivated me to consider the idea of creating an extended abstract work of art that could captivate the viewer and entice them to contemplate its significance. At the time I was aware that artists’ books and polyptychs were both possible ways in which multiple pages or panels could be presented in a singular form. However, in 2010, I encountered another way of working that significantly changed my own way of thinking about abstract art and my own art practice.

From the field of comics literature and within the domain of the graphic arts, came the seminal book Abstract Comics: the Anthology by Andrei Molotiu, 14 which introduced the wider world to the rarely seen work of abstract comics artists. Seeing and learning about abstract comics for the first time was another moment of enlightenment for me. One thing I quickly came to realise is that abstract comics and other sequential forms of abstract art are directly related and have interconnections that are not easy to separate, which led me to consider that they might belong to a new and emerging genre. I identified this genre as abstract sequential art and apply this term to my work.

The term sequential art was originally coined by the comics artist Will Eisner in 1985 15 and usually refers to comics that use a sequence of images, however because sequential art can be identified in other media it is important to note that abstract sequential art is more than just comics presented in abstract form and, indeed, can take many forms including: abstract polyptychs and abstract pseudo-polyptychs; abstract artists’ books; abstract comics and abstract graphic novels; abstract gallery comics; abstract storyboard picture books; abstract mini-comics zines; and abstract webcomics. A fuller discussion of these can be found in my doctoral thesis 16 and this list is not a definitive one, it simply provides some guide as to how different forms of abstract sequential art may be classified. I regard abstract sequential art as an emerging genre of 21st century art within the field of Centennial Abstraction, and I offer this definition,

An abstract sequential artwork is a configuration of a number of sequentially juxtaposed abstract images that focus on form and technique to induce a sequential rhythm that suggests sequence, movement, transition, change and/or the passage of time, which may elicit from the viewer an aesthetic response, a notional narrative and/or a possible theme.

This new genre is an example of how contemporary art consistently challenges cultural conventions by continually reflecting, adapting and absorbing those elements from which it draws inspiration. The beauty of

this is that art need not always stick to established ways of doing things in the technical sense, or formulaic processes in the creative sense. For example, I do not use a storyboard to pre-plan my work. However I do produce the panels and gutters first, before I draw or paint in the subject matter. Working this way is this is like starting a journey without knowing its end. Obviously, this way of working brings with it risks, though I find that the challenge of discovering the unknown motivates me to start work.

In the beginning I relied on my existing embodied knowledge to primarily direct the work, but now I use a more immediate and intuitive engagement with the work itself. Embodied knowledge combines the aspects of what I already know through experience, practice and theory, with my acquired knowledge, which is gained in time, through dedication to work. Simply put, when I first started creating abstract sequential art I relied on my embodied knowledge of the elements and principles of art, design, media and technique to balance the challenges of creating new work in an unknown genre, with its own artistic conventions. Once I became familiar with them, the work became easier to produce because of my acquired knowledge gained by making new artworks, and through reflective thinking and writing.

An example of a new convention that took time for me to understand is the making of gutters, which are the spaces between the panels, and are important compositional considerations. Gutters give the viewers time to analyse the images and panel transitions used. They also help generate the impression of time passing. I enjoy making them now, but at first they were a challenge to me. I recommend the comics theory books of Scott McCloud for an in-depth insight into comics conventions, such as panels, gutters and panel transitions. 17 In fact it is he who proposed the use of the word comics as a “plural in form” noun “used with a singular verb”, which is the term I use because it is employed widely in comics literature.

Other terms that relate to my abstract sequential artwork include 18 -

Polyptych — a composition including more than three separate panels which may create a sense of sequence and movement, transition and change, and the idea of time passing, and coalesce into a hyper-image.

Hyper-image — the overall sense of the collective image that forms when the panel images coalesce.

Pseudo-polyptych — one picture plane that is divided into panels, which may create a sense of sequence and movement, transition and change, and the idea of time passing, and coalesce into a hyper-image.

Continuity — an abstract polyptych and pseudo-polyptych visual mechanism, which occurs when images in sequential panels are used to generate rhythmic energy and create an inner cohesion.

Unity — a visual mechanism incorporating abstract polyptych and pseudo-polyptych panels that occurs when sequential and temporal progressions are created and panels visually connect through the interplay of images, which, if effective, can merge them simultaneously into a hyper-image with or without a unifying theme. It is a mechanism, which is affiliated with the Gestalt principle i.e. the whole is other than the sum of the parts.

I define continuity and unity in my thesis as stylistic devices for polyptych art and Molotiu 19 uses two similar, yet different, terms for the stylistic devices of abstract comics. There are:

Sequential dynamism — the formal visual energy, created by compositional and other elements internal to each panel and by the layout, that in a comic propels the reader’s eye from panel to panel and from page to page, and that imparts a sense of sustained or varied visual rhythms.

Iconostasis — the perception of the layout of a comics page as a unified composition; perception which prompts us not so much to scan the comic from panel to panel in the accepted direction of reading but to take it at a glance, the way we take in an abstract painting.

My work combines these stylistic devices, as well as the genre conventions of abstract comics and Centennial Abstraction. I believe this ability to interchange and adapt, are the hallmarks of abstract sequential artwork, as well as being the features of my portfolio of work.20

Notes.

1. Di San Lazzaro, G., 1964, Klee, Praeger, New York, pp.119-120.

2. Karmel, P., 2013, The Golden Age of Abstraction: Right Now, ArtNews, April, pp.66-73.

3. Other forms of abstract art making are acknowledged as being significant, however a suitably in-depth discussion of these is beyond the scope of this discussion. 4. The Conceptual Abstraction Exhibition was re-presented in 2012 with 20 of original works alongside 20 contemporary ones by the artists, which meant that the exhibition was more that a repeated experience. It offered new insights.

5. Crowther, P., 2012, Abstract Art and Techno-Nature: The Postmodern Dimension. In: Crowther, P. and Wunsche, I. eds., Meaning of Abstract Art: Between Nature and Theory, Routledge, New York, pp.217-240.

6. Kirby, A., 2006, The Death of Postmodernism and Beyond, Philosophy Now, 58. [Online]

7. Shottenkirk, D., 2006, Research, Relativism and Truth in Art. Art and Research: A Journal of Ideas, Contexts and Methods, 1. [Online]

8. Molotui, A., 2009 An Anthology of Abstract Comics, Fantagraphics Books, Seattle.

9. Tabulo, K., 2016, Abstract Sequential Art: An Experimental and Experiential Investigation, doctorial thesis, University of the Sunshine Coast.

10. A number of these compositional approaches have been in some way identify by the following authors: Gude, O., 2004., Postmodern Principles: In search of a 21st century art education. Art Education: the Journal of the National Art Education Association. 53(1), pp.6-14; Nickas, B.,2009, Painting Abstraction: New Elements in Abstract Painting, Phaidon Press, New York.; Sale, T. and Betti, C., 2008, Drawing: A Contemporary Approach. 6th ed., Thompson & Wadsworth, Belmont, California. 11. Robertson, J. and McDaniel, C., 2016, Themes of Contemporary Art: Visual Art after1980. 4th ed., Oxford University Press, New York. 12. Di San Lazzaro, op.cit. p.83. 13. Tan, S., 2006, The Arrival, Lothian, Sydney.

14. Molotiu, op.cit.

15. Eisner, W., 1985, Comics and Sequential Art, Poorhouse press, Tamarag, Florida.

16. Tabulo, op.cit

17. McCloud, S., 1993, Understanding Comics, The Invisible Art, Kitchen Sink Press, New York.

18. Tabulo, K., 2013. Abstract sequential art. The Journal of Graphic Novels and Comics. 5(1), pp.29-41.

19. Molotiu, A., 2012, Abstract Form. In: Duncan, R. and Smith, M.J. eds. Critical Approaches to Comics: Theories and Methods. Routledge, Oxon, UK. pp.88-100.

20. Websites: kymtabulo.com and abstractsequentialart.com; Instagram: Kym Tabulo; Youtube: Kym Tabulo