Pittsburgh-born artist Ann Tanksley has an innate understanding of the world. Her paintings, although done in an abstract expression style, never shy away from reality. They depict very real moments reflective of life experiences. This summer, RJD Gallery in Romeo, Michigan, will mount the exhibition Soul to Soul, featuring old and new compositions by the artist. The decades of work on display reflect a variety of series, which will show the breadth of her influences.The Foxes, oil on cotton canvas, 30 x 20"

“Ann Tanksley’s work expresses a deep lifelong love and appreciation of people and the human condition—the struggles, triumphs and the jubilations. She communicates that love on the deepest level, soul to soul, through poignant portrayals of life’s moments filled with both drama and joy,” says Joi Jackson Perle, director of RJD Gallery. “A conversation between friends, an afternoon spent fishing or a night on the town are easily relatable scenes that are powerful reminders that these seemingly unremarkable moments are often the most memorable and profound. Tanksley’s paintings feature elements of abstract expressionism that add a depth of humanity and a visual narrative that all can enjoy, and she consistently excels with master painterly skills, learned over years of determination and earnest time at her easel.”Jewel Box Review, oil on cotton canvas, 28 x 16"

Tanksley had her first brush with the arts during kindergarten when she began coloring; it was a soothing activity for the budding artist and a feeling that continued throughout her career. “Art remains my go-to place for peace and solace,” Tanksley says. She studied at the Carnegie Institute of Technology—now Carnegie Mellon University—and after moving to New York studied at the Art Students League, Parsons School of Design, the Printmaking Workshop and the New School for Social Research. The artist, who continues to call New York home, is a social commentator through the figures she depicts by helping people understand her experiences and points of view.The American Hotel, oil on linen canvas, 48 x 36"“I really got involved in painting after graduation during the civil rights movement,” says Tanksley. “A lot of my work is social and political commentary.” She also is known for depicting jazz and nightlife scenes, as well as works that reflect her travels and study of religions from all around the world. Her works, regardless of subject, are connected through figures and a bold use of color.
“I love the human figure. I use it to express my feelings in just about everything,” she adds.Grace, oil on board, 11 x 14"In her show at RJD Gallery there will be several past paintings on display including The American Hotel, which depicts a woman sitting regally on an ornate chair against a backdrop that reflects the American flag. “Everything that I paint is from a personal experience,” says Tanksley. “My husband and I had very good friends who lived on Long Island, where the American Hotel is located. We’d walk by there often, but I never went in. I could only imagine what was happening from on the outside. [This painting] is sort of a fantasy thing of imagining what’s going on inside.” The chair in the painting is one from her own home, as Tanksley has an affinity for antiques and decorative arts, while the flag represents the name of the hotel.Fishing, oil on cotton canvas, 19 x 18"Mardi Gras is a fun and imaginative scene that is derived from her trips down to New Orleans. “I love New Orleans and the architecture there,” she shares. “This is from the Mardi Gras celebrations. I was involved with a gallery in New Orleans and going down there and being part of the whole scene was inspiring—the food, the people, the music, jazz.”Mardi Gras, oil on linen canvas, 36 x 40"The jazz scene appears often in Tanksley’s work, and it’s something that has always connected her back to her upbringing. “Pittsburgh and jazz to me are synonymous. It’s something that was always part of growing up to me,” she explains. “A lot of its roots were in New Orleans and [other parts of] Louisiana.” It’s also a reminder of the Harlem jazz scene and going to the Apollo in her early days of living in New York. Other paintings of the same vein, capturing the nightlife and escapism, include Jewel Box Review and The Foxes.Endangered Species, oil on linen canvas, 36 x 40"Quieter moments of life are explored in paintings such as Fishing, Friends and Grace. For a period Tanksley would go back to Pittsburgh to visit friends and family, but after they moved to other states and cities she didn’t return as often. However, she recently had the chance to visit and was reminded of spending time with her loved ones. It inspired her painting Friends. “One thing that we always had was a porch swing. It was commonplace,” she says. “That’s where a lot of getting together and conversations would take place.”Friends, oil on linen canvas, 24 x 40"

Grace is a reminder of her summertime visits to Martha’s Vineyard and her family’s friend Grace. Recalling those moments, Tanksley says, “It was a summer fantasy land. We would take the ferry over from the mainland to the island, and it was again a release. It was a way of getting away, and Grace was a very dear friend of ours. She’d always been around, and she loved flowers. I did a sketch of her sitting on a porch of a storefront waiting for us to come out.”

Soul to Soul will hang from June 3 through July 1. —

RJD Gallery
227 N. Main Street • Romeo, MI 48065
(586) 281-3613 • www.rjdgallery.com 

Powered by Froala Editor