Alongside Anthony Poon’s current exhibition “Transformation and Color” at Sundaram Tagore in Singapore, the gallery is hosting a lecture about the pioneer abstract artist on June 18. Entitled “Relooking Anthony Poon: New Perspectives,” the lecture will reflect on Poon's artistic practices and legacy.The discussion will be led by Singapore’s respected art historian and critic T.K. Sabapathy, who has devoted four decades of his life to the research, promotion and documentation of contemporary visual arts in Singapore and Malaysia. Sabapathy will be joined by art historian and critic Louis Ho, curator at the Singapore Art Museum.“Transformation and Color” is showcasing historic paintings rarely seen by the public, notably from the critical period of the artist’s oeuvre — the “Wave” series as well as other formative works. This series has not been exhibited since Poon's retrospective at the National Gallery Singapore in 2009.The “Wave” series, inspired by the curves of frequency waves, reveals swirling and undulating planes of color, supplying the entire work with light and movement. Poon started this series in 1971 after his return from studying in London. His time in the United Kingdom exposed him to new European artistic movements including Geometric Abstraction, Hard-Edge painting and Op Art.The “Wave” series ultimately defined Anthony Poon’s career. His paintings evolved from geometric abstraction on a two-dimensional canvas to three-dimensional relief paintings and sculptures. This body of work was the precursor to the artist’s monumental public sculptures.Anthony Poon graduated from Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts in 1964, and then joined Singapore Glass Manufacturers as an industrial artist for three years. Subsequently, he studied fine art in the UK, first at Byam Shaw School of Art in London, then at the Regional College of Arts in Bradford, York.Poon was a pioneer of the Modernist movement, and was one of the most commissioned artists of his generation. His works were grounded in a period of new exploration and development, which occurred within the international abstract art movement during the 1960s and 1970s.The lecture “Relooking Anthony Poon: New Perspectives” will take place on Saturday, June 18, from 3-5 pm at Sundaram Tagore Gallery, Gillman Barracks, Singapore.The exhibition “Transformation and Color: Anthony Poon, Pioneer of Singapore Abstraction” runs through July 10 at Sundaram Tagore Gallery.
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