Sometimes when we peruse the work of our different artists, we are struck how similar they can actually be. Take a look at Wael Sabour’s Harbour series and Peri Schwartz’s stills of her studio.

At first glance, the two may not seem to have much in common. But take a closer view. Both take a multi-perspective view of the same subject/snapshot, but somehow manage to make it seem as though we are looking at the subject through a new set of eyes each time. For Schwartz, the inspiration comes from her New York studio, which she morphs into a swirling world of stained glass and watercolor-esque shapes. Sabour isn’t too far from this effort, either choosing to re-imagine harbor and boat imagery. While Schwartz riffs on warm, earth tones, Sabour laps up cool blues and greens (fitting, for the harbor scenes).

Whether you’re on board with us, or think that we’re just grasping for straws with this comparison, it is nice to find links between some of our artists. After all, there is a reason they’re all in the same company. What do you think?

We’ve been busy prepping for our upcoming exhibit, To be human…, making sure that statues are properly poised and positioned. But like any show or performance, we have to wonder what the talent–read: the sculptures–does on its free time. In the weeks leading up to the exhibit, our spies have seen Christina West’s sculpted figures acting far more human than bronze. Check out our paparazzi snaps of figures from West’s I Spy series out and about in Atlanta, as they get ready for their big debut at Tinney Contemporary.

- TC

11:15 A.M.: Of course sculptures get a bit nervous before opening night. We found one wringing his hands as he prepared his opening remarks.

2:35 P.M.: Checking out one's reflection in the mirror--always have to look good!

12:05 P.M.: A lunch break at Subway?

10:30 PM: Time for bed! Sculptures are just like us.

4:00 P.M.: Shooting the breeze with an Atlantan.

As embarrassed as we are to admit this, we watch the occasional episode of 90210–the new permutation of the famous show, not the more critically-acclaimed (if that is saying much) version from the 1990s. In the most recent episode, the show’s resident artist, Ivy, gets involved with a young man who claims that gallery art is for “sell-outs,” and the real work can be found on the walls of buildings and highway overpasses.

What are we trying to get at here? Can graffiti be considered art? In some circles, yes. But what about gallery art that pays homage to graffiti, or street art? Todd Gordon’s series of oil paintings depict industrial yards, and inner city neighborhoods not as slums, but inspiration for his realistic works. We particularly love 5 Pointz: Loading Dock, which looks almost like a candy-colored Caribbean seaport, rather than a gritty sprawl of graffiti.

It’s no wonder that Gordon draws his inspiration from “the Rust Belt towns I remember from my childhood in the Midwest”–there is almost a Midwestern charm to these graffiti spots. What’s more, the current riff on a desolate landscape reminds one of the works that made Hopper so famous.

- TC

What a loaded term. What does it even mean to be a human being? Is it something corporeal, overdone, or more emotional? We wanted to answer this question, so of course we enlisted the help of Jason Lascu in our newest exhibit: to be human. Lascu has guest curated our exhibition, which will show “figurative” works from James Croak, Christina West, Lyle Carbajal, Eef Barzelay, and Lascu himself.

The human figure has long been a contested subject in art. From Da Vinci’s iconic Vitruvian Man, to tattoo art, we’ve been talking about the human body for as long as we can remember.

But let’s draw your attention to something a little more unusual: the exhibition’s title: to be human…

Do you notice that it’s human, not Human? And the ellipsis, as though being human is an unfinished thought of sorts? Perhaps we are no longer thinking of being a human as this elusive, philosophical question, but rather a quick musing, something that can be contested over morning coffee. Or maybe we’re just getting too wrapped up in the title of the exhibition. Either way, be sure to look out for Lascu’s guest curation at Tinney Contemporary, opening Friday, March 31st!

- TC

You’re Invited!

Who: Tinney Contemporary fans and patrons

What: HGTV’s new Nashville-based interior design show: Interiors, Inc.

Where: Your television

When: Saturday, March 17th, at 9:30/8:30 central on HGTV (check local tv listings).

The secret is out–we’re famous. TONIGHT, you can catch us on HGTV’s newest show: Interiors, Inc.

What’s it all about?

Interiors, Inc. puts a much-needed spotlight on Music City’s vibrant architecture/interior design scene. Each episode, Nashville-based design firm Pierce & Co. perform a makeover in the room of choice of a Nashville celeb or up-and-comer. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition this is not. The sophisticated television program follows Johnathan Brad and Ben as they turn elegant lofts closets and living rooms into artistic masterpieces. Clients include Leann Rhimes and Taylor York of Paramore.

Enter: Tinney Contemporary

It’s no secret that Tinney Contemporary gallery owner Susan Tinney knows how to curate an exhibit. Now, our fearless leader can add interior designer to her resume. On tonight’s episode, Susan and Keith work with the show’s designers to design a room in their house around a single work of art. What painting is the inspiration you might ask? None other than Claire Cott’s “Spade.”

We are so incredibly excited for this chance to show off our beautiful gallery and Claire Cott’s work. Be sure to tune in tonight at 9:30/8:30 CST for glimpses of your favorite gallery and Susan/Keith!

Cheers!

- TC

For more updates on Tinney, check out our website or follow us on Twitter.

Isn’t it amazing how something that goes viral truly does spread like a pandemic? That was the case of last week’s #Kony2012 movement. Started with Invisible Children’s Youtube video, #Kony2012 has become almost as iconic a hashtag as #OccupyWallStreet, and sparked a debate that transcended normal partisan divisions. In an age in which we can disseminate information and social messages nearly as fast as it takes our synapses to fire them up, we often lose sight of artwork that can pack just as meaningful of a message.

We thought back to a Tinney exhibit from December 2008: The Art of the Lost Boys of Sudan. Under the supervision of Nashville photographer Jack Spencer, these young men–all refugees from Sudanese villages–exercised the most simple and rewarding of acts: creating something. The result was a series of masks. Whether you are compelled by invisible children or lost boys, or hesitant to delve into the tangled web that is foreign policy and social media, you can’t deny the powerful image that is The Lost Boys’s artwork hanging on our walls.

- TC

Isn’t it funny how something that is so derivative of spring, beauty, and freedom can morph into an uglier version of itself? We asked ourselves this question when we revisited Sisavanh Phouthavong’s work, Cacophony. We love how Phouthavong takes the image of a hummingbird–a heuristic for spring’s whimsicality–and crafts it into a writhing cyclone of hummingbirds. The vital energy of a hummingbird becomes something chaotic and harried in this work, and Phouthavong does not even justify the title by adding an adjective like “beautiful”–she just leaves it as an unapologetic Cacophony. Perhaps she is showing us that it’s ok to embrace the madness.

- TC

For more of Phouthavong and our other artists’s work, head over to our Artist Page.

With spring weather teasing us on a weekly basis, we thought we’d come out of our winter cocoon and have a block party–a colorblock party, to be exact. Ever since Peri Schwartz’s exhibit The Architect Within, we’ve been stuck on warm-hued swaths of colorblocking (à la Schwartz’s abstract swaths, depicting bottles within her studio). From Aquilano.Rimondi’s punchy runway looks, to Rothko’s tried-and-true canvases of vibrant hues, we can’t get enough of the look. All hail colorblocking!

- TC

For another kind of party, head over to the 1st Saturday Art Crawl, this Saturday, March 3rd from 6-9 PM!

Towering over Commerce Street, the FirstBank building isn’t the first venue that comes to mind when one thinks of art–and yet, the edifice is quickly becoming a model for office-building exhibitions. Through their “Art of Community” project, donors Jim and Janet Ayers are transforming what could be a serious, static environment into a who’s who of Tennessee artists: the building will features works from over 50 artists from the Volunteer State, including three of Tinney’s very own–Anna Jaap, John Folsom, and Mary Postal.

Ayers have also tapped some of Nashville’s eminent curators for the project, including Celia Walker of Vanderbilt University Libraries Special Projects, and Susan Edwards of the Frist Center for the Visual Arts. We’re so compelled by the pseudo-exhibition because it has a music festival-esque vibe to it–bringing diverse artists together under one roof–like Bonnaroo or Lollapalooza. Plus, it doesn’t hurt that you can check out works from some of our past artists, right in the heart of Nashville. Are you planning on checking out the revamped FirstBank building? Let us know in the comments section.

- TC

Unusual mediums are the name of the game at the Museum of Art & Design’s (MAD) newest exhibition: Swept Away: Dust, Ashes, and Dirt in Contemporary Art and Design. Of special interest to us? One of our artists–James Croak–who will display the dirt sculptures that have made him so famous. Kim Abeles also makes city smog into an art form in the exhibition, on display from February 7th – August 12th.

Swept Away also gives nod to the notion of interacting with the art itself. In Swept Away Projects (March 6th – May 14th), visitors can rub elbows with the artists themselves and touch the actual dirt. Whether you view dust, dirt, and sand as just that, or consider it an elevated form of art, you can’t help but be intrigued. For more info on Croak’s group exhibition, check out curator David McFadden’s video on Swept Away . And for more on Croak’s past dirt exhibitions, check out our past blog entry!

If you want to see even more photos of Croak’s group exhibition head over to Core77!

- TC