‘Light and Movement Portrayed: The Art of Anthony Poon’
Rising Waves on 2P
Collection of National Heritage Board
5 September to 25 October 2009
1 The National Art Gallery, Singapore, is proud to present Light and Movement Portrayed, an exhibition that pays tribute to the late Anthony Poon, one of Singapore‟s most important second generation artists. This exhibition is the first in the National Art Gallery‟s Southeast Asian Modern Art Series. It celebrates the art and life of this prolific and successful abstract artist.
2 The exhibition opening will be officiated by Guest of Honour, Professor Tommy Koh, Singapore‟s Ambassador-at-Large and Chairman of the National Heritage Board, on 4 September 2009, Friday, 7pm at the Glass Hall, Singapore Art Museum. Media preview led by Director of The National Art Gallery, Singapore, Mr Kwok Kian Chow, and Exhibition Curator, Ms Ong Zhen Min, will be held on 4 Sep, 11am at the Singapore Art Museum.
Anthony Poon, one of Singapore’s leading abstract artists
3 Best known for his „Wave‟ paintings, this Cultural Medallion recipient has won numerous local and international public commissions, notably the sculpture he created for the Beijing 2008 Olympics. Poon had many of his large-scale, site specific sculptures, reliefs and paintings on display in outdoor public spaces and corporate interiors. His meticulously executed pieces are keenly sought by collectors, and represented in public and private collections around the world, such as the Fukuoka Art Museum, National Library Board, as well as private collectors from the People‟s Republic of China, Hong Kong, Malaysia, UK and Singapore.
4 Poon‟s works embody the spirit of new exploration and experimentation with forms and concepts that characterized the abstract art movement during the 1960s and 1970s. Showcasing a variety of works from museums and private collections, including a significant donation made by the Poon family to the National Heritage Board in 2007, this Light and Movement Portrayed exhibition will trace the artist‟s life and works, from his formative years experimenting with the painting medium, to his subsequent venture into relief and sculpture works, and consider his artistic journey as a whole.
5 Says Mr Kwok Kian Chow, Director of The National Art Gallery, Singapore, "This exhibition presents an opportunity to see Anthony Poon beyond the image of a prominent abstract artist, to consider his entire artistic journey, through his life, works and artistic influences. Somewhere between the tensions of realism and abstraction, systemic order and subtle tactilities, monochromatic luminosity and transcendental perfection, Poon spoke to us in a way that was illuminative of the critical concerns and cultural context of the second generation artists in Singapore. The National Art Gallery will continually highlight and celebrate these significant local artists, so that every Singaporean would be able to understand and share in their artistic journeys, and be proud of our nation‟s cultural heroes.?
Updates on Curatorial Developments for the National Art Gallery
6 Light and Movement Portrayed marks the first in a series of incubator exhibitions organized by the National Art Gallery, and held at the premises of the Singapore Art Museum. Titled the Southeast Asian Modern Art Series, the intention of these exhibitions is for the Gallery‟s curators to try out various exhibition ideas, concepts and programmes, and to gauge and study audience feedback and reactions to each idea. This will allow the Gallery to fine-tune their ideas and concepts progressively, so as to develop the most engaging and exciting exhibitions and programmes for the National Art Gallery when it opens in 2013.
7 Says Mr Michael Koh, CEO of the National Heritage Board and the National Art Gallery, Singapore, "We want to build the best possible National Art Gallery for Singapore. To develop a relevant and exciting curatorial plan for the Gallery, we want to ensure that our ideas for each exhibition space will work with our audiences and grow the museum-going culture here. Hence, to test these incubator exhibitions at the Singapore Art Museum is a natural choice for the Gallery. SAM has played both the modern-historical and contemporary roles up until now. The start of these incubator exhibitions marks a new beginning for both SAM and the National Art Gallery, contributing to the vibrancy of the visual arts scene in Singapore."
Appendix
Anthony Poon
1945 | Born in Singapore |
1961-64 | Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, Singapore |
1967-70 | Byam Shaw School of Art, London, U.K. |
1970-71 | Regional College of Art, Bradford, Yorks, U.K. |
1971 | Returned to Singapore. |
1973-79 | Manager, Alpha Gallery |
1991-92 | External Fine Art Examiner, LaSalle College of Arts, Singapore |
1999-2002 | Member, Art Specialist Panel, Cultural Medallion and Young Artists Award. National Arts Council. Singapore. |
2002 | Member, Selection Committee Shell-NAC Arts Scholarship. National Arts Council. Singapore |
1999-2005 | Member, Curriculum Development Council, Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts. |
2002-2005 | Chairman, NAC-Telok Kurau Studios Management Committee |
2002-2008 | National Art Council Member, Seed Grants Assessment Panel for Visual Arts, National Arts Council. Singapore. |
2003-2007 | Member, Panel of Arts Advisor, National Art Council, Singapore |
2006 | Member, Singapore Note and Coin Advisory Committee, Board of Commissioner of Currency, Singapore Member, Annual Grant Assessment Panel for Visual Arts, National Arts Council Fine Art Examiner, Nanyang Academy of Fine Art, Singapore New Bridge at Marina Bay Art Competition - Art Evaluation Panel |
Awards
1976 | Pingat Apad Award, Association of Artists of various Resources |
1983 | First Prize, United Overseas Bank Painting of the Year |
1986 | Kallang Theatre Mural Competition, Ministry of Culture |
1987 | Second Prize, Sentosa Waterfront Sculpture Competition |
1991 | 1990 Cultural Medallion Award, Government of Singapore |
1997 | Sculpture Competition, United Engineers Square |
1998 | Sculpture Competition, Singapore Turf Club |
1999 | Sculpture Competition, Ministry of Information and the Arts |
2002 | Excellence Prize, China International City Exhibition & Symposium (Beijing 2002) Ministry of Culture of P.R. China and the People’s Municipal Government of Beijing. |
2004 | Sculpture Competition, Housing and Development Board. Singapore |
One-Man Exhibitions
1964 | Paintings by Anthony Poon, National Library |
1967 | Mixed Media, National Library |
1971 | Shape Canvases, Alpha Gallery |
1975 | Waves Series, Alpha Gallery |
1978 | Waves Frequency Waves, Alpha Gallery |
Selected Group Exhibitions
1964 | Southeast Asia Art, Victoria Memorial Hall, Singapore. |
1967 | Eight national Art Exhibition, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. Contemporary Art of Singapore, National Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia. |
1969 | Commonwealth Young Artists, Royal Overseas League, London, U.K. Grand Art Exhibition, 150th Anniversary of Singapore Commonwealth Young Artists, Guild Hall, London, U.K. |
1970 | Young Contemporaries, Royal Academy Galleries, London, U.K. |
1972 | Modern Art ’72 – Modern Art Society, National Library, Singapore. |
1973 | Elemental Abstraction, Alpha Gallery, Singapore. Alpha Invitational, Alpha Gallery, Singapore. Festival of Arts, United World College of Southeast-Asia, Singapore. |
1974 | Alpha Group Show, Alpha Gallery, Singapore. Art in Singapore Today, Victoria Memorial Hall, Singapore. Twelve Artists, Baharuddin Vocational Institute, Singapore. |
1975 | Inaugural Art Exhibition, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. Color, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. Contemporary Artists from Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia, Penang Museum, Malaysia. Large Paintings, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. |
1977 | Art ’77, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. Selections, Paintings & Sculptures, Alpha Gallery, Singapore. |
1978 | Ten Contemporaries, Alpha Gallery, Singapore. Art ’78, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. Contemporary Art, Singapore Festival of Arts, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. |
1979 | Alpha Group Show, Alpha Gallery, Singapore. Contemporaries ’79, Alpha Gallery, Singapore. |
1980 | 5th Festival of Asian Art, Hong Kong Museum Art Gallery, Hong Kong. Contemporary Asian Art Show, Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan. Three Artists, Raya Gallery, Australia. Contemporary Singapore Paintings, Festival of Asian Arts, Hong Kong Museum Art Gallery |
1981 | Contemporary Asian Art Show, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore |
1982 | Contemporary Form, Asean Traveling Exhibition of Visual Art, Asean countries. Contemporary Singapore Art, Singapore Festival of Arts 1982, National Museum Art Gallery. |
1983 | New Images 1983, Modern Art Society, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. Third Asean Exhibition of Paintings and Photograph, Asean Traveling Exhibition of Exhibition of Visual Art. Singapore Art in the Seventies, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. |
1984 | Singapore Art, A Decade 1974-1984, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. 25-Years of Art in Singapore, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. Singapore Art, National Art Gallery, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia |
1985 | Current Approaches in the Art of ASEAN Region, Touring ASEAN countries. Second Asia Art Show, Fukuoka Art Museum, Japan. |
1985 - 86 | Singapore Art for Japanese Festival, Traveling exhibition around Japan. |
1986 | Seoul, Contemporary Asian Art Show, 1986, National Museum of Modern Art, Seoul, South Korea. 8a, Eight Artists, Alpha Gallery, Singapore. Asian Contemporary Art, Singapore Festival of Arts 1986, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore |
1987 | New Directions, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. Ying Yang Festival, National University of Singapore Society. |
1988 | The Second Decade, Masterpieces from Private Collections, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. Singapore Contemporary Artist, Hong Kong Art Center, Hong Kong. |
1989 | New Art Expo, New York, U.S.A. Bru-Sin Art Exhibition, Brunei Darussalam Museum, Brunei. Twenty Artists, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore |
1990 | Urban Artists, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. Singapore Artists Speak, National Museum Art Gallery, Singapore. |
1991 | Sculptures in Singapore, National Museum Singapore |
1991 – 93 | Many in One – 25 years of Singapore Art - touring U.S.A. |
1993 | Strategies – An exhibition of Artworks by seven Outstanding Contemporary Singapore Artists, Takashima Gallery Inaugural Exhibition, Singapore. |
1994 – 95 | Contemporary Singapore Art - traveling exhibition to Hong Kong & 7 major cities in Republic of China |
1996 | Contemporary Singapore Art, Soobin Gallery, Singapore. Singapore Art ’97, Singapore International Convention & Exhibition Center. Art Power – to benefit the Substation, Chijmes, Singapore. |
1998 | Preview of Early Works, Telok Kurau Studios, Singapore |
1998 – 99 | Tomorrow Realism, Telok Kurau Studios, Singapore. |
1999 | Brave New World, Soobin Gallery, Singapore. City/Community – Nokia Singapore Art ’99, Singapore Art Museum. |
1999 – 00 | NAFA Cross Century Art Exhibition, Nanyang Academy of Fine Art |
2000 | Excerpt 2000, Soobin Gallery, Singapore |
2001 | Telok Kurau Studios 2001, Telok Kurau Gallery. |
2002 | China International City Sculpture Exhibition & Symposium (Beijing 2002), Beijing International Sculpture Park, Beijing, China |
2003 | Telok Kurau Studios 2002, Telok Kurau Gallery |
2004 | Crossroad, the making of new Identities, National University of Singapore Museum. |
2005 | New Creations, Telok Kurau Gallery |
PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Bank of Tokyo Brunei Darussalam Museum Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore Development Bank of Singapore Art Collection Dresdner Bank, S.E.A., Ltd Economic Development Board Fukuoka Art Museum, Fukuoka, Japan National Institute of Education National Library Board Overseas Union Bank P&T Architects, Hong Kong Singapore Art Museum Sultan of Brunei Darussalam Art Collection Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Washington D.C. USA Embassy and Beijing Embassy, China. Temasek Polytechnic United Overseas Bank Art Collection Ministry of Culture, People Republic of China and the People’s municipal Government of Beijing. Tianjin Economic-Technological Development-EDB China, P.R.China.
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PRIVATE COLLECTIONS
Australia, Brunei, Canada, People Republic of China. Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Malaysia, U.K., USA. |