ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
ARTIST SPOTLIGHT
Mark Tennant
All works and information showcased in this post are under the ownership of Mark Tennant. Please visit his website if you wish to learn more about this artist.
Mark Tennant is an artist who holds degrees from the Maryland Institute College of Art and the New York Academy of Art.
Mark Tennant has formerly served as an instructor and a Director of Graduate Fine Art Painting at Academy of Art University in San Francisco, California. Tennant has taught Museum Copying at the Louvre, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, and the Legion of Honor in San Francisco.
Tennant’s art draws on themes of impressionism, realism, human forms, and light.
Widely recognized for his painting abilities, Mark Tennant’s pieces evoke a sense of nostalgia, familiarity, and déjà vu.
A large portion of Tennant’s work is untitled, or identified by the dimensions of the piece, or the date it was created.
Capturing Time
One of Tennant’s greatest skills is his observation. His ability to trap a moment in time is one of the defining characteristics of his work.
Tennant perfectly captures the time period of each of these settings through his depiction of clothing, technology, mannerisms, and other surrounding details. Aspects like a sequined bodysuit, a sedan, and colored polos are brought out to identify the painting subjects for the audience, while other details are out of focus.
Capturing Light
The strongest—and perhaps most recognizable—aspect of Mark Tennant’s work is in his ability to capture light and shadow.
Whether its sunlight, camera flash, or fluorescence, Mark Tennant has a striking ability to apply photorealistic values to impressionist pieces. While we often aren’t able to discern the facial details of the subjects of his pieces, Tennant’s use of light creates familiar settings for the viewer to relate to.
A bright garden, a side room at a party, a sunny parking lot, a dark office. While much of the context of these pieces is still a mystery up to the interpretation of the viewer, the consistency of light between them creates a poignant and cohesive style for Tennant’s artwork.
Capturing Mood
Despite the intentional ambiguity present in Mark Tennant’s work, the mood of his pieces is blatantly clear to viewers.
Happiness
This piece, labeled only as 12-15-24 depicts three friends conversing together in what could be a small apartment or lounge space.
Their posture is relaxed, but engaged in the conversation. The man on the left leans forward on his elbows. The woman on the couch has an open expression as she makes a remark to the man leaning on the back of the sofa. He laughs in response.
The entire scene paints a picture of friendship and quiet moments of conversation.
Energy
Several young adults dance together in a dark room, maybe a basement party. Their mouths are all open in the same shape as they sing to the music. Arms go up and out in rhythm. Sweat shines off their faces as they dance.
The volume of this scene is almost palpable. You can feel the bass, hear the singing, the feet on the floor, the overlapping of voices.
The entire scene is buzzing with energy in every corner of its reach.
Impact
As I continue to create artwork, Mark Tennant remains as a profound inspiration to me. His ability to capture life in its most raw aspects demonstrates an innate understanding of the world around him. I can only hope to be able to replicate some of his techniques as I advance my craft.
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