Anthony Poon - Abstract Art

Anthony Poon Kin Soon (21 April 1945 - 2 September 2006) was one of the pioneer abstract artists in Singapore best known for his paintings in the Wave Series which he began working on in 1976. t was during the late 1970s that he produced the Wave Series, abandoning the shaped canvas for the square frame, although order and symmetry remained the operative logic. This was followed by the Frequency series in the early 1980s, a truncated variant of the wave motif. Here, the illusion of three-dimensionality emerged as an interest of his. He also explored chromatic ranges in the Colour Theory series during this period.Here, abstraction was the predominant form of expression, although Poon deferred in being more conceptual, analytical and controlled as compared to his contemporaries. His early works, although containing figurations instructive of the formal teachings of NAFA, already showed signs of semi-abstraction. He quickly developed a unique style, centred on his interest in the spatial relationship between line and colour. This was evident in the Kite series of geometric abstractions and aerodynamic shapes on shaped canvas, developed just before his return to Singapore. He then expanded fully into the third dimension in the mid-1980s, with the Wave relief marking his progress into three-dimensions on canvas. He was known in the art world for his professionalism and discipline. His close friend and fellow artist Teo Eng Seng said, "He was a good example of a successful artist. People tend to think that artists are not organised, but Anthony was highly organised, highly competent." Friends of Poon also remembered him as a food lover. Teo remembered fondly that his friend was always urging fellow artists to try new places to eat, even if the places were out of the way. Poon would drive his friends around to different eating locations every day, sometimes even driving five kilometres just to try a new place. Then he would order a lot of different dishes and tell everyone to eat as much as they could.(Wikipedia)