Abstract Painting Blog

"Tink Tonk" Humanities Revelation

Abstract art is free and doesn't fear surrealism. It is beautiful and powerful because it can be expressed through the artist's unconscious mind. Abstract art leaves its interpretation open as the only subject is undiscussed; there is no trail leading you to the subject matter. Abstract pieces rely on sensa to engage their audience. The color, line work, texture, shape, and light significantly stimulate the viewers. Nabil Nahas's "Tink Tonk" painting uses abundant line work, yet each line plays a role in the whole picture. Each line, shape, and differentiating color unite to create what looks like a glitch in technology. Lines of all colors come together in the center to create geometric shapes. With no real color scheme, each figure seems to be outlined in many vibrant colors. It's almost like these glass pieces with illuminated outlines are falling into the darkness behind them. It speaks to how abstract pieces are timeless and constaintless.

There are shapes throughout this painting that may not be your typical shapes. "Tink Tonk" is a geometrical scale painting, so you have never-ending places to look. Similar to life and how there is always something to observe. In the upper center of the painting, you can observe a shape comparable to a scalene triangle full of energy and color. Furthermore, this is such a powerful part of this painting. The smokey grey darkness overpowers the point of the triangle. There are three very different shades of night in this painting. The top layer is grey, the middle layer is almost black, and the bottom layer is practically pitch black, nothing but darkness. You can see these vibrant shapes trying to show through the darkness, them fighting back as they fall through each of the three layers.

The piece "Tink Tonk" is incredibly engaging, with many revelations to conclude with, but mine is in regards to losing yourself. Losing yourself starts slowly, such as in the first layer of darkness in Nahas's painting. Then you begin to notice but not worry because you can still fight to let your brightness breakthrough like the vibrant shapes in the second layer of darkness. Finally, it's pitch black, and there's no vibrance left; you've lost what is yourself. I like to imagine the shapes present with only an outline were once complete, like the scalene triangle, but that vibrance was sucked into the darkness. This painting is a subtle reminder not to lose yourself in the day-to-day aspects of life but to stop and be aware of life at the moment.

Reference

Nahas, Nabil. Tink Tonk, c. 1980, www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/482406. Accessed 1 Sept. 2022.