Tony Tuckson
Abstracts from the fifties In this exhibition are nineteen of Tony Tuckson’s earliest abstract paintings.
His first proper abstract painting, as far as we can discern, was on newspaper dated 3rd November 1956. The works we have here probably come from his first three years as an abstract painter.
One would imagine Tuckson breaking away from figuration into abstraction would have excited research, especially research into the body of work that led up to this breakthrough, an event that must be seen as important in Australian art history.
What led up to his breakthrough was some three thousand figurative paintings and drawings the result of a seven year sustained effort. This seven year’s work led over the next 18 years to the seven thousand paintings and drawings on which Tuckson’s reputation is based.
The reason the rich figurative loam that led to such a preeminent abstract flowering has not been more closely researched is that it is hard to find a clear
development from the figurative to the abstract work. The paintings in this exhibition, for instance, do not show any obvious relationship to the figurative work. This seems to have led researchers to dismiss the figurative work as something independent of and other than Tuckson’s abstract work. In fact the figurative work constituted an incredibly serious endeavour; Tuckson saw it as a rite of passage to his deepest ambition which was to be an abstract painter.
In fact, Tuckson’s whole career questions the proposition that serious work can be assessed in terms of the work that leads up to it and the work that
develops from it. For not only are the figurative paintings not very pertinent to an appreciation of the early Abstract Expressionist paintings (1956 -1962) nor do the Abstract Expressionist paintings throw much light on his next body of the work, the Red/ Black/ White series (1962-1965). And that series can be characterised more by its difference from the late paintings (the Action Paintings of 1970-73) than by any contribution to them.
The semi isolation of each of Tuckson’s series of paintings could be seen as a great bonus to our enjoyment of this exhibition; we can do away with having to place each work in some sort of art work genealogy and enjoy discovering, one-to-one, what each work has to tell us, which is much more to the point.
Tuckson’s Abstract Expressionist phase produced his largest and most inventive body of abstract work. Thus, against the metaphysical solace and spiritual uplifting of his latest work and against the inner tensions of his Red/Black/White series we have the excited, inventive joy of the abstract expressionist
paintings. Within this exhibition consider the major work – ‘Large open Black on Paper’ (cat no 7 in his 1970 exhibition). Nothing in it obstructs an exuberant energy expressed in a tumultuous welter of painted lines that are given coherence by his magic control and surefooted touch. Behind the excitement of the black lines are gentle touches in subdued colour suggesting a calm world which supplements and complements the unbridled energy all around. Four different Tony Tucksons seem to have created each of his four bodies of work. We hope you enjoy this exhibition by the abstract expressionist Tony Tuckson. Geoffrey Legge
Cover 1. TP 7
Tony Tuckson abstracts from the fifties 5th May – 23rd May 2015 Opens: 6 - 8pm Wednesday 6th May 2015
Watters Gallery 109 Riley Street, East Sydney NSW 2010 Ph: (02) 9331 2556 www.wattersgallery.com info@wattersgallery.com tues and sat: 10am - 5pm; wed thurs fri 10am - 7pm
3. TD 4001
2. TD 1201
4. TP 495A
5. TD 1117
6. TD 7539
7. TD 7004
8. TD 1130
9. TD 1116
10. TD 4002
11. TD 6830
12. TD 1205
13. TD1116
15. TD 6730
14. TD 1080
16. TD 1204
17. TD 1001
18. TD 1110
List of Works no.1
TP 7
oil on paper on hardboard
137 x 152.2 cm
no.2
TD 1201
gouache on paper
25.4 x 20.4 cm
no.3
TD 4001
gouache on paper
18.25 x 25.1 cm
no.4
TD 495A
oil on cardboard
51.5 x 42 cm
no.5
TD 1117
gouache on paper
38.4 x 55.9 cm (irreg.)
no.6
TD 7539
gouache on paper
27.5 x 37.8 cm
no.7
TD 7004
gouache on paper
27.6 x 37.8 cm
no.8
TD 1130
gouache on paper
37.8 x 55.7 cm
no.9
TD 1116
gouache on paper
55.7 x 37.8 cm
no.10
TD 4002
gouache on paper
18.2 x 25.1 cm
no.11
TD 6830
gouache on paper
37.8 x 28 cm
no.12
TD 1205
gouache on paper
20.4 x 25.4 cm
no.13
TD 6831
gouache on paper
42.4 x 27.1 cm
no.14
TD 1080
gouache on paper
37.8 x 28 cm
no.15
TD 6730
gouache on paper
28 x 37.8 cm
no.16
TD 1204
gouache on paper
20.4 x 25.4 cm
no.17
TD 1001
gouache on paper
28 x 37.8 cm
no.18
TD 1110
gouache on paper
37.8 x 55.8 cm
no.19
TP 91
oil on cardboard
86 x 61 cm
Where possible, the Tuckson works on paper have been washed, deacidified and lined to kozo paper. Exhibition catalogue Watters Gallery, Sydney 5 May - 23 May 2015 Š Artist,Tony Tuckson Estate Photographer: Matt Hoggett This catalogue is copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purposes of private study, research, criticism or review as permitted by the Copyright Act no part may be reproduced by any other process without written permission.
19. TP 91