Lot 40: Salman Abbas (Iraq, born 1945) Sacred Land,

Sacred Land, oil and mixed media on board, dated '64 in lower left corner, identification label on reverse, framed, 98.5 x 68.6cm (38 3/4 x 27in).

Provenance:
Private UK collection.

In the early 1960s the Iraqi government established an 'Institute of Higher Education' which became known as 'The Academy of Fine Arts' and later still 'The Arts College'.

In 1965, a number of the first batch of graduates from the Academy of Fine Arts established an artist's group called the 'Innovationists'. The group lasted for four years and, apart from Salman Abbas, consisted of a number of young artists such as Saleh Al-Jumaie, Salim Dabbagh and Ali Taleb.

The 'Innovationists' strove to rebel against traditional art styles producing works of art using new materials such as collage, aluminum and mono-type.