Headlights on a two-lane highway, bright sun rays through trees, trains on a rainy night. They come from small towns and large towns. I saw one when you passed by on the street; I heard one in a 1930’s bluegrass song; in the gospel spoken by the preacher on Sunday morning. Ideas and inspiration for my paintings come from the past and present, from all things nostalgic. Like a songwriter flirting with words, I manipulate paint to dictate my story, capturing moments from an era when things seemed simple, more genuine and honest.
My strategically cropped paintings are sometimes confrontational and often feature the female figure as protagonist, giving you a subtle glimpse into the characters’ lives. Usually leaving you wondering what’s just beyond the edges, you might find yourself squinting to see what’s being reflected in the gleaming chrome in some of my pieces. The compositions range from graphic-oriented realism with images rich in unmixed color and bound by hard edges, to true photorealism using original photographs as source material. Staging the photograph for the painting reference is essential, as I rarely change anything throughout the painting process. Everything must be period correct.
I’m pulled to photorealism because it makes the viewer notice things they wouldn’t notice in real time, especially with my work being large-scale and detailed. A painting freezes movement, reflections. Photorealism is a well-suited vehicle for capturing moments that occur with little notice, but are nonetheless revealing in their narrative. Painting in this style forces me as the artist to look beyond the subject matter; to just let a face be an object, or a car just a block of color. In the end, the story will be seen and told.
For me, my paintings are about making the acrylic, oil and brushes work. They’re about me constantly improving technique. They’re about interest of composition and technicalities. For you, I hope my paintings arouse a memory or feeling from within. I hope you allow them to create a story; any story you choose to make up and be a part of. Inspired by life, completed by faith.
March 28, 1975
SHOWS
2011 (group), Winter’s Ebb, The Haen Gallery, Asheville, NC
2010 (group), ReTune Nashville, Soundcheck, Nashville, TN
2010 (group), Landfill Art Project [An Artist Reclamation Project], International
2010 (group), “Summer Sampling” The Haen Gallery, Asheville, NC
2009 (group), “A Wintry Mix”, The Haen Gallery, Asheville, NC
2009 (group), “Summer Sampling”, The Haen Gallery, Asheville, NC
2007 (solo), “Of Time”, Gallery One, Nashville, TN
2006 (solo), Warner Brothers Records, Nashville, TN
2006 (group), Watkins College Of Art & Design Benefit, Nashville, TN
2006 (group), Gibson Guitartown, Nashville, TN
2002 (group), University Of North Alabama Artist Alumni, Florence, AL
2000–2008 annually (juried group), Arts Alive, Florence, AL
2000–2008 annually (group), Chairish The Kids, Nashville, TN
2000 (group), Hanging Around Gallery, Nashville, TN
MEDIA
Tennessee Department Of Tourist Development, Tennessee Trails & Byways “Walking Tall Tour” brochure cover (Rockabilly Highway Mural), 2011
ABC Network, “Extreme Makeover Home Edition: The Nashville
Build”, November 2010
Sherwin Williams Professional Painting Contractor Magazine, “Rockabilly Highway Mural”, p. 31, Summer, 2010
Independent Appeal (Selmer, TN), “A Piece At A Time”, Russell Ingle, January 27, 2010
Independent Appeal (Selmer, TN), “Before The Clock Strikes Midnight And 2010 Begins, A Look Back At An Eventful 2009”, Russell Ingle, December 30, 2009
The Jackson Sun (Jackson, TN), “Brian Tull Brings Rockabilly To Mural”, Donna Miller, June 24, 2009
The McNairy County News (Selmer, TN), “Rockabilly Highway Revival Is A Big Success”, June 18, 2009
Independent Appeal (Selmer, TN), “Rockabilly Revival - Hot Rods, Slugburgers, and Swing Take Downtown Selmer Back In Time”, Russell Ingle, June 17, 2009
Independent Appeal (Selmer, TN), “Rockabilly Revival This Weekend”, Russell Ingle, June 10, 2009
The McNairy County News (Selmer, TN), “Rockabilly Highway Revival”, June 4, 2009
Independent Appeal (Selmer, TN), “Rockabilly Revival Nears”, Staff Reports, June 3, 2009
WBBJ-TV, ABC (Jackson, TN), Interview, June 2009
The Tennessee Magazine, “Recognizing McNairy County’s Musical Heritage”, p.18, 19, Beverly Lambert, May, 2009
Arts In McNairy newsletter, “The Rockabilly Highway Revival is Coming - Schedule Announced!”, Shawn Pitts, May 29, 2009
The Jackson Sun (Jackson, TN), “101 Great Things to Do (No. 17)”, Jacque Hillman, Karen Boothby, Lisa Meals, May 25, 2009
The Jackson Sun (Jackson, TN), “Mural In Downtown Selmer Highlights Rockabilly Roots”, Mariann Martin, May 11, 2009
WBBJ-TV, ABC (Jackson, TN), Interview, May 2009
Daily Corinthian (Corinth, MS), “Art Along The Trail”, L.A. Story, March 15, 2009
Daily Corinthian (Corinth, MS), “Recognizing Rockabilly”, L.A. Story, March 8, 2009
Independent Appeal (Selmer, TN), “Rockabilly Wall”, Russell Ingle, February 25, 2009
The Jackson Sun (Jackson, TN), “This Is One Big Guitar To Carry”, photo, October 2, 2007
Nashville Arts Magazine, photograph, p. 37, October 2007
The City Paper (Nashville, TN), “Authenticity Drives Vintage-Looking Art”, Alexa Hinton, September 28, 2007
The Tennessean (Nashville, TN), “Paintings Capture More Than Nostalgia”, Jonathan Marx, September 14, 2007
Independent Appeal (Selmer, TN), “On Display”, Russell Ingle, September 12, 2007
The Jackson Sun (Jackson, TN), “Nashville Photorealist Featured In Show”, Donna Miller, September 5, 2007
Nashville Arts Magazine, photograph, p. 31, September 2007
Nashville Arts Magazine, photograph, p. 16, March 2007
“The Tennessean, FYI - A Guide To Nashville And Surrounding Areas” (Nashville, TN), cover photograph, September 17, 2006
“Nashville’s Guitar Art”, Gibson Guitar Corporation, p. 13, 2005
Rainbow Media, (New York, NY) “The Gibson Guitartown Auction Preview”, Interview, 2005
COMMISSIONS & COLLECTIONS
Brian’s work is included in many private, corporate, and institutional collections, including:
ASCAP, Nashville, TN
Gibson Guitar, Nashville, TN
Hunters Custom Automotive, Nashville, TN
Quintess Resorts, Palm Springs, CA
YMCA of Middle Tennessee
AWARDS & HONORS
Community Enhancement Award, Rockabilly Highway Mural, McNairy Regional Alliance, Selmer, TN, 2009
Key To The City Of Selmer, Rockabilly Highway Mural, Selmer, TN, 2009
First Place Award - Juried Gallery, Kennedy Douglas Center, Florence, AL, 2008
Merit Award - Juried Gallery, Kennedy Douglas Center, Florence, AL, 2006
GALLERY REPRESENTATION
Gallery One, Nashville, TN
The Haen Gallery, Asheville, NC