PCC’s Professor Emeritus Norman Abbey’s Artwork to Go on Display

From Aug. 3 to Sept. 11, Pasadena City College presents a sampling of the varied and skillfull works of professor emeritus Norman Abbey. An opening reception will be held Aug. 21, from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m.

Throughout the many stages of his art career, Abbey has explored a wide-range of mediums, including painting, graphic design, and photography. After earning his degree in Visual Arts from UCLA in 1958, Abbey taught in Germany and Paris before joining the faculty at PCC in 1962. He then established a successful graphic design/photography business that thrived for 40 years.

As one peruses the works in the show, one witnesses the changing social perspectives of the United States throughout the decades. We see the optimistic 50s, the tumultuous 60s, the retro and whimsically playful 70s, and the 80s embrace of corporate dominance. Abbey’s astute explorations into experimental photographic processes contribute significantly to his encapsulation of the ethos of each era.

Of particularly striking effect is his use of transparent photographic overlays in “Vietnam Tragedy, 1975” in which his techniques provide a perfect visual methaphor for the multiple and conflicting viewpoints during that era of soul-searching rebellion and unrest. Throughout Abbey’s body of work, his refined sense of design is evident in his effective use of pattern and texture in his artful compositions.

In addition to his 1969 show at the Downy Museum of Art, Abbey received a Purchase Prize from the Long Beach Museum of Art as well as numerous regional awards throughout the years.