(Norbert Attard) Essay -500 words

Norbert Attard

Norbert Attard (1951) whose an artist and an architect is a Maltese candidate. He graduated in architecture from the University of Malta in 1977, and is entirely into his devoted talent in art. He experienced the living in West Germany in the late 1970's (1978-1979) and connected with a numerous European Art galleries, which he found very useful in his return to Malta. Then he founded Gallerija Feniċi at the Mediterranean Conference Centre in Valletta and joined in with other interested partners.  Attard is also interested in printing which himself has designed book covers, posters, and postage stamps, this awarded him by Christies Contemporary Art in London. he has had over sixty individual exhibitions and has practiced in many shows in several countries. Lately Attard has dedicated himself to abstract painting, and his busy architectural practice.


Norbert Attard describes his art as a voyage of discovery. In the figure of speech means that it's something to discover into their own souls. He anticipates to the interest in his exploring and creates his own particular formal organisation of it. He uses the lithograph German technique in books which derives from an old method of printing. In his late graphic work he got inspired by the Mandala series, and also his Mihrabs and Kimonos which both link to a mystic quality. This also counts to his abstract work. Early on, Attard showed particular interest in social issues with the connections of avant garde -Henri Dogg theatre company and his experience of the theatre  in general. This might have effected on his work, of space and composition. However now he seems like he moved away from graphic drawing and print making of his earlier years. Every artist has a similar vision towards the abstract but each and one them account for it in a different way.


The early work of Attard many paintings were being like Picasso's work in tone and expression. His work in the years 1970-1977 included experimentation which were influenced by other artists. These are Mondrian's early semi-abstract work, Giacometti, Seurat's pointillism, Jackson Pollock, and he was also influenced by the Maltese artist Frank Portelli who is his uncle.

Henry Moore, Gustav Klimt and Hundertwasser were his later interest.

In 1972, he produced his first series of prints, using linoleum, a number of ink drawings which helped him to develop in 1977, he turned to print-making, which he explored and to graphic work this continued until 1988, when he began exploring his abstract work using acrylics on canvas.
There's a progressive simplification of form, and the style composition, which clearly indicates the disposition towards the abstraction. He used an explosion with the use of colours, lines and walls and a sense of light with transformation. Organisation of space was studied and denseness, darkness of colours in a more tranquil, secure, open and optimistic. This represents the freedom of unrestricted landscapes and open spaces.

One of his earlier prints was dedicated to Heraclitus, who said that "You never step into the same river twice", this saying captures perfectly Norbert Attard's work -''like the river's journey, is constantly in flux, so that not even his spirit is ever static''.



Reference:
Attard,N., 1996. An Invitation to... Paintings 96. Malta: Dormax Press.

Think Design Malta, 2010. Norbert Francis Attard. [Online] Available at: <http://norbertattard.com/en/home> [Accessed 22nd April 2014]

L.Agius, 2011/14. 'Lilly Agius Gallery' -Norbert Francis Attard (Biography). [Online] Available at: <http://www.lilyagiusgallery.com/norbert-francis-attard.html> [Accessed 22nd April 2014]