Artwork copyright Whiting Tennis. Photo courtesy of Washington State Arts Commission.

John Brown, 1991

Whiting Tennis
American (born 1959)

Location: Puget Sound Skills Center, Burien

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

John Brown is a painting by artist Whiting Tennis. It is part of Tennis’s series of portraits of people active in the American Civil War (1861-1865). Tennis's interest in American history was prompted in the late 1980s by reading Abraham Lincoln's biography. Brown was a controversial, white abolitionist who organized the freedom of enslaved people and led anti-slavery troops in the 1850s. Brown was executed for treason in Virginia in the winter of 1859. Tennis shows us two versions of Brown’s face, especially the eyes, repeated and layered in the artwork. He created this artwork by first carving and printing a woodblock. He then added painted elements to add another dimension to the story.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with .

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Whiting Tennis creates paintings, drawings, sculpture, and collage that explore structure and symbolism. He often combines wood grains, faux painting, weathered surfaces, and repurposed and discarded materials such as wood and cardboard to blur the line between reality and illusion. Born in Virginia, Tennis moved to Seattle in 1972 at age thirteen. He received a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree from the University of Washington in Seattle in 1984. After finishing his degree, he traveled around Alaska and Europe. He spent time living in Barcelona, Spain, where the minimalist American painter Frank Box became his mentor. In addition to his art practice, Tennis performs in local rock bands and has worked as a set carpenter for film and theater productions.