May 2014

Haynes Galleries presents A Summer Retrospective
May 30 to August 9, 2014

NASHVILLE— Haynes Galleries will kick off the summer season with a group retrospective that highlights masterful selections from a range of gallery artists. This diverse, carefully curated show covers everything from archival photographs and kinetic charcoal drawings to classic oil portraits on linen and delicate pastel landscapes. The exhibit runs from May 30 to August 9 at Haynes Galleries on the Music Row Roundabout.

This collection includes some favorites from the gallery’s roster of distinguished, award-winning painters and exciting new artists. Each piece is more compelling than the last, highlighting the diversity of work, breadth of scope, and level of quality that have earned Haynes Galleries a reputation for excellence in American Realism.

“We’re revisiting some of our favorite pieces and artists,” says Gary R. Haynes, gallery founder. “Artists from both the core of American Realism and the future of Contemporary Realism are included. It’s a great selection of work. But for anyone unfamiliar with these talented and skilled artists, the show will also be a compelling introduction.”

Carl Sublett’s watercolor House at Spruce Head, Maine evokes the expressiveness and precision of Andrew Wyeth’s work. This weathered cottage stands alone at the rocky shore, stark against a milky gray sky, a symbol of permanence and solitude. This celebrated painter passed away in 2008, but his lifelong devotion to art lives on through his rich, emotionally charged work.

While many of Yousuf Karsh’s portraits of 20th century celebrities and historical figures are iconic, his portrait of Winston Churchill became one of the most widely reproduced images in the history of photography. In this dark, moody photograph, Churchill stares at the camera, looking incensed. In fact, he was. Karsh snapped the photo seconds after respectfully — but surprisingly — plucking a lit cigar from the world leader’s mouth.

No less surprising is Milixia Morón’s beguiling depiction of the Venezuelan goddess Yara, orchid in hand, jungle in the background. This sensuous, assertive painting embodies strength and beauty. It is by turns classical and contemporary, otherworldly and completely grounded.

Kerry Dunn, a rising star who teaches at Philadelphia’s Studio Incamminati, creates show-stopping still lifes depicting toys and clowns. At first glance, they’re light and fun, but look a little closer and there’s a touch of melancholy. His Twilight Masquerade is shadowy, somewhat unsettling, and completely arresting.

Longtime gallery favorite Lea Colie Wight coaxes the extraordinary from ordinary scenes, and Lauren, Café is no exception. In this painterly portrait, A young woman sits pensively on a wrought-iron chair, staring dreamily into the distance with a book open before her and a cell phone in hand. The piece is at once familiar and yet strikingly beautiful.

So, too, is Tanya Bone’s He Is The Vine a still life whose biblical title reflects the abundance of its composition. In this luminous, traditional painting, spring blossoms unfurl amid teacups and crockery. There is glory in the mundane, elegance in simplicity.

Traditionalists will love Marc Dalessio’s atmospheric River With Boat a plein air impression of the Eastern European countryside. His work dances with color and light, turning a mirror-still river into a perfect rendition of a sultry, hazy day.

Sultry. Celebratory. Sunny. Sensational. Isn’t that what summer is all about? This spectacular show invites viewers to dive in to the season. To revel in beauty. To kick back and enjoy some of the finest art Nashville — and America — have to offer.