“On Broad Street”, acrylic
“At the Hunter”, pen and ink
The Girl At The End Of The Bar”, acrylic
Texting”, pen and ink
In-Town Gallery's August feature show is “Scenes of The City” by Jim Tucker. Both acrylic paintings and ink drawings give a view of the thought processes of the artist as he interprets life in the city. Other paintings, sculptures, glass pieces, carved wood, pottery, jewelry and wearable arts are among the displays shown continuously throughout the gallery.
An opening reception will be held Friday form 5-8 p.m. at 26A Frazier Ave. Guests will be able to meet the artist and enjoy wine and light refreshments.
A man of many contrasts, Mr. Tucker likes people and his observations of their interactions are revealed in his paintings. He also treasures the solitude of the home and acreage he and his wife share on the Cumberland Plateau near South Pittsburg. Born in Connecticut and raised in South Carolina he is a graduate of University of Georgia, having studied studio art and majored in art history. His grandmother, an artist, encouraged him and when he got discouraged with his lack of progress in watercolor told him not to judge what he could do in watercolor until he had painted at least 100 pictures. Living years in Atlanta he continued his studies at Atlanta College of Art and Callenwolde Arts Center. While working at the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he exhibited at several of the Atlanta galleries.
A fling with abstract painting gave him wide insight into the difficulty of painting with no discernible subject matter. “Where in the past I’d been communicating with symbols I shared with the viewer - trees, water, sky, clouds - I now found myself attempting to make a statement without those things," said Mr. Tucker. "Each painting seemed like a 'one-off' where I’d solved a particular problem but didn’t know where to go next.”
As he returned to more representational painting, he kept the lessons learned in abstract compositions, such as the relationships of shape and division of space, which could easily be transferred to recognizable subject matter. He then evolved into painting the human figure, which he now does with semi-abstract shapes and less attention to detail.
Most fine artists make a habit of regularly sketching and, for Mr. Tucker, he said this is a driving passion. Prior to beginning a painting he will have explored different compositions in pen and ink. In fact, his black and white drawings are so strong that often they are framed and stand alone as a finished work. “I love the dramatic tonal juxtapositions you can get with the pen and the subtle shades of gray available with ink wash,” said Mr. Tucker. He finds tonality a central theme of his work, often using cool, bluish tones in lieu of black.
Some series come about because of a personal reaction to current events. One series of “Wanderers” came to mind because of the refugee crises happening around the world. “There are seemingly endless armed conflicts forcing people from their homes," said Mr. Tucker. "They become rootless, wandering, going from something but not to anything. I find that very troubling and compelling. As I thought about it, I began to consider the process of wandering in much broader terms. I began to wonder if we are all wanderers to a greater or lesser degree.
“I love stories and I process life in terms of a story. It’s central to my worldview and how I get a sense of psychic order. In my current work I want to avoid a sense of literalness, but all my painting is about a story.”
Scenes of The City are moments in time captured by an artist who has come to see cities and entities created by generations of people pursuing their visions, dreams and hopes. “Sometimes they succeed and mostly they fail, but they leave their mark, and those marks become a visual biography," said Mr. Tucker.
This front wall feature runs through the month of August and will then join works of other artists throughout the gallery. In-Town Gallery, at 26A Frazier Ave. on Chattanooga’s North Shore is open every day, year round, except for major holidays. Hours are 11 a.m.-6 p.m., 1-5 p.m., Sunday and until 8 p.m. on First Fridays. Call 267-9214, visit www.facebook.com/intowngallery or www.intowngallery.com.