Local Musician Portrait Series

I always cringe a bit when I walk into a restaurant and see musical instruments hanging on the walls. To me instruments are meant to be played. Still, I appreciate their beauty as objects. Shiny brass instruments with their maze of tubing, the contrast of wood and metal of the woodwinds, stringed instruments polished to the point you can see your reflection: musical instruments are beautiful and intriguing to look at. They also make great subject matter for visual art.

Brian Wagner, a local artist, has been an artist-in-residence with the Art and Cultural Alliance here in Knoxville for the past six months. During his time as artist-in-residence he worked on a project called the Local Musician Portrait Series. He photographed local musicians using a photo booth and then transferred the images onto canvas. Several musicians from the Knoxville Symphony volunteered to be photographed for this project. I have seen a few of his portraits online and they are stunning. I can't wait to experience the full effect of his large prints in person. Wagner's show will open this Friday in conjunction with First Friday. The show will be at the Balcony Gallery in the Emporium Building and will run through the month after which it will move to various places throughout Knoxville.