Visual Arts Gallery to display realism of Nick Long

Release Date: 7/7/2003. Expired: 9/6/2003

The Visual Arts Galley will feature the drawings and paintings of Chattanooga native Nick Long in an exhibit July 25-Sept. 6.

An opening reception will be 5-7 p.m. July 26 at The Renaissance Center. Admission to the reception and the exhibit is free.

“My primary concern in my drawings is to explore the abstract nature of form, texture, and mainly the beauty of light through the realistic idiom,” says Long, who resides in Thompson’s Station. “I have discovered the seductive qualities of warm sunlight pouring over the languid curves of a figure, the shape of a shadow cast by the glow of morning light and the nuances of tone and translucency in handmade linen as light reveals itself to be a nearly palpable element. The communication of those startling moments of visual clarity is both a great challenge and a high calling.”

“The high realism in Nick’s work is not to be confused with the ‘super realist’ or ‘photo-realists,’ but instead his art incorporates the interesting shapes, deep shadows, and extraordinary light that help to create a dynamic composition,” said Curtis Southerland, curator of the Visual Arts Gallery at The Renaissance Center.

This current body of works to be displayed includes graphite drawings and a series of acrylic paintings that are parallel in content and nature.

“Building credibility for drawing as a powerful vehicle of communication - not just a means to an end - is a goal for every piece,” Long says. “Currently, I am not interested in the narrative, political or social implications of the imagery. The intent is to communicate the simple beauty of everyday objects and to visually celebrate what might otherwise be overlooked or taken for granted in a cluttered world.”

A graduate of University of Tennessee with a Bachelor of Fine Arts, Long has been accepted into numerous juried exhibits including prior juried exhibits at The Renaissance Center, the 2001 and 2002 International American Watercolor Society, the Hilton Heard Art League 2002 National Juried Exposition and was a finalist in Artists Magazine’s 2001 International Competition. Long received an Award of Excellence at the 2001 Renaissance Regional Art Exhibit and an Award of Merit in the 2000 show.

His works are in several private collections as well as in the Knoxville Museum of Art and the Harry S. Truman Memorial Library in Independence, Mo.

The Visual Arts Gallery at The Renaissance Center is open 9 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Saturday. Admission is free. For more information, call (615)740-5600.

Visit the Visual Arts Gallery page for more about the gallery.

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