Why We Are Drawn to the Unknown

Shadowwood, Acrylic on Wood Panel, 36 × 36” Framed

One of the most asked questions about the world of Tanner’s art is, “Where is this place?” The moss, water, or outline of an old house is recognizable in his paintings, creating a sense of familiarity. While Tanner’s landscapes carry a Southern Gothic feel, the places he paints emerge directly from the imaginative world within his own mind.

Tanner’s work recalls a sense of the wild that has been lost to the past but still feels within reach. Artists preceding Tanner in the nineteenth century pictured the American wilderness as settlements expanded, with Ansel Adams later photographing wild landscapes in the national parks. As time went on, the concept of wilderness began to feel more out of reach with the rise of modernity. Tanner’s work is reminiscent of the era of wilderness, with his imagined places continuing past the dark trees and Spanish moss. His shadowed landscapes are built within a world that may have been left behind by time, but still feels close enough for us to cross its threshold.

In Tanner’s newest original, Shadowwood, an old house stands deep within a swamp, nearly swallowed by cypress and Spanish moss. It appears abandoned until the amber light in one window makes us look again. This single detail raises the question of whether this place was abandoned, or what life remains behind the glass.

Growing up in rural Alabama, Tanner was drawn to the woods and tall trees, which eventually became a place of refuge for him. Their presence became a motif throughout his work, though the path through the trees is rarely clear. Bright skies appear behind the branches, and in his Threshold series, lights within the architecture hold our attention. By balancing shadow and the possibility of light, his landscapes capture a dark form of optimism, even if the path ahead is unknown.

Shadowwood is now on view at Tanner Gallery & Studio. We invite you to see the original in person while it is here and tell us what part of this imagined place feels familiar to you.