Realism vs Abstraction -

Realism vs Abstraction

1970<br />Felt pen on paper<br />43.5 x 28.2 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1964<br />Graphite on paper<br />72.4 x 57.2 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1964<br />Acrylic on paper<br />78.7 x 58.4 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1970<br />Acrylic, pencil on paper<br />78.7 x 58.4 cm<br />Private Collection

1971<br />Acrylic, pencil on paper<br />78.7 x 58.4 cm<br />Private Collection

1971<br />Acrylic, pencil on paper<br />78.7 x 58.4 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1966<br />Acrylic on paper<br />58.4 x 58.4 cm<br />Private Collection

1967<br />Acrylic on paper <br />58.4 x 58.4 cm<br />Private Collection

1970<br />Felt pen on paper<br />43.6 x 28.0 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1965<br />Acrylic on paper<br />78.7 x 58.4 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1967<br />Acrylic on paper<br />58.4 x 78.7 cm<br />Collection of the Artist<br />Tanabe explored abstraction more aggressively throughout the 1960s. Referencing the hard-edge painting of the period along with Sumi, the artist investigated the spaces around him through bold forms and rich, vibrant colours. Yellow Sky is one example that represents this convergence of styles and approaches that Tanabe employed during this era. Form, balance, pattern and colour were the primary interests of the artist during this important period of artistic development as he looked at and strove to depict the landscape through a different creative lens.

1981<br />Pencil on paper<br />14 x 33 cm<br />Collection of the Artist<br />Some of Tanabe’s most compelling works feature the horizon as a central visual element. From early works such as <i>Variations on a Theme, Denmark, The Land #5 (Circa 1954)</i> to a later series which includes <i>Near Chain Lakes (1981), West of High River (1981)</i> and <i>Foothills, South of Pincher Creek (1981)</i>, Tanabe has exhibited a fascination with the horizon, which divides land from sky, <i>terra firma</i> from atmosphere. The horizon, as a perspectival device, situates the viewer in relation to a point in the distance; it also has the peculiar power of drawing the eye into its expanse.

1981<br />Pencil on paper<br />14 x 41.9 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

1981<br />Pencil on paper<br />14 x 40.6 cm<br />Collection of the Artist

ABSTRACTION AND REALISM

Fluctuations between the Abstract and the Real

Tracing the work of Takao Tanabe over many decades, it is possible to see fluctuations between an abstract and realist approach to landscape. Experimenting with colour and form, he studied in Winnipeg under the painter Joe Plaskett, producing lyrically abstracted, landscape-based works. Tanabe and many of his peers, including Gordon Smith and Jack Shadbolt have used the landscape as a source for abstraction, using expansive views as departures for formal exploration. During the 1970s Tanabe turned away from abstraction, choosing to render the sweeping Prairies, Rocky Mountains and coastline of Canada with keen attention to scale and detail. A period of regular travel including flights and long drives between British Columbia and Alberta marked this transition from the abstract to the real.

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