Article from www.brentwoodhomepage.com, August 10, 2012
Jack Coyle, a 16-year-old from Brentwood, was commissioned to perform a graffiti-style art installation at The Clay Lady’s Studio, Artist Co-Op & Galleries in Nashville.
Coyle has been painting two large murals, each approximately 10 feet high and 20 feet wide, at The Clay Lady’s Studio on Lebanon Pike. The painting exhibits a collection of blue pottery, each distinctive in its shape and design, that symbolizes the clay pottery, hand-building and sculpting that nationally known, professional clay artists and their students create and sell inside the studio.
“It is gratifying to have my artwork recognized in this way,” said Coyle, a rising junior at Montgomery Bell Academy. “I know street art is frequently depicted as vandalism, sohopefully this legal expression will cause a few people to see this art form in a new and different way.”
Coyle said he is “inspired by all kinds of great graffiti art,” including Revok, ROA, TSF Crew, Detroit Beautification Project, Eduardo Kobra, murals of Orgosolo in Sardinia, photorealistic portraits of el Mac and the gradient colors of Peeta’s 3D graffiti.
“It’s a big movement, bigger than pop art, and graffiti artists worldwide are creating beautiful works of art and giving important social commentary,” he said. “For me, it’s great to put up a large production piece like this that offers a message about the value of creativity to a community, and I’m appreciative to Danielle for providing this public space for my art.”
Danielle McDaniel, known as the Clay Lady, first saw Coyle performing a live demonstration of graffiti at the Endada Music & Arts Festival at MBA in April. Impressed with his style and originality, the Clay Lady envisioned an opportunity to get Coyle to do a piece for her. So, as an artist and patron of the arts herself, she quickly acted on her instinct and commissioned Coyle to work for her.
“Even viewing his work from 50 yards away, I was impressed by Jack’s style of tagging — clean lines, freshness and subtle use of various shades of one color,” McDaniel said.“Now, seeing his discipline at work, he has proven himself to me, a veteran of 30 years in the art world, as not only a true creative talent but a young man bound for success as a professional artist. His ideas and work ethic have produced an outstanding graffiti mural for me and a remarkable gift to the Nashville art community.”
Once engaged to paint this piece, Coyle spent time early in the summer drawing mock-ups for pre-approval. Like other forms of more traditional art, graffiti artists often use sketchbooks to perfect their imagery before painting begins. The color schemes for this installation were derived from the logo of The Clay Lady’s Studio, but the design, layout and execution were left to Coyle’s own artistic judgment. The natural setting of Coyle’s painting, exposed to the bustling city street and drivers-by, allows this artwork to thrive in its proper street environment. The work is to be completed before the gallery’s second annual Birthday Bash on Aug. 18, on which day at 2:00 p.m. Coyle will sign his finished work.