The Witness
mixed media on canvas, 36x36
2004
Artist Twin
From the collection of Dina and Brad Martin
Brothers Terry and Jerry Lynn (aka TWIN) are Memphis natives that make art as a collaborative effort. Each contributes to the same painting, often at the same time. Each completed their BFA degrees at the University of Memphis, and they have been featured in exhibitions regionally and nationally for over a decade.
The Witness (2004) was painted as a part of their Southern Secrets series, and reflects the kind of stories they heard from their older family members growing up. In it, a man stands watching a burning church across a field. The figure staring out at the viewer is based on an old photograph of the artists' great grandfather. They use a technique of layering paint and collage as a means to represent the complex history of the South, and their family's experience of it. The twins were selected as part of the UrbanArt Commission's first cohort of local artists for its Mural Training Program in 2011.
