Dorothy O’Connor creates magical world at Tinney

On cold days people tend to walk briskly in downtown Nashville. But during the first week in December, people walking on Fifth Avenue North stopped, if only briefly, to watch Dorothy OConnor construct one of her fantastical worlds inside Tinney Contemporary.

Its been really nice. People walking will knock on the window and give me a thumbs up or say something really nice, which is so encouraging, OConnor said a few days before the shows opening.

Scenes, installation and photography by OConnor, is on view at the gallery through Jan. 11. OConnor will speak on Jan. 3 as part of the rescheduled Collectors Art Night.

The centerpiece is Ceiling of Black Birds, a vignette centered in the gallery directly across from the front doors. Contained within briar-covered walls and ceiling, the scene includes two wooden beds and various vintage props: a typewriter, stacks and piles of old books, doilies, etc.

A flock of birds progresses from white to black white birds on the floor and lower surfaces, white and black ones midway up and a mass of black birds on the ceiling.

The concept for the piece came to OConnor in a dream. It sounds so goofy to say that, but honestly thats where a lot of stuff comes from, she said.

Though she doesnt remember much else about the dream, she recalls someone saying to her, Dont forget your funeral near the end of it. The ceiling of black birds came to her instantly and other details emerged later.

For example she wanted to have two people making things in the scene. In the live tableau, a model sat on each bed, one making birds from the pages of an old book while the other painted the birds black.

OConnor was the Martin Shallenberger artist-in-residence earlier this year at Cheekwood, where she constructed Shelter in the museums temporary exhibition space. Her intricate, otherworldly installations are not only photographed for later display (using her 8-by-10 camera) but are also settings for performance art pieces or tableaux vivant.

Dorothys work is very organic, everything about it is nature-driven, gallery owner Susan Tinney said. Tinney went to OConnors website after being introduced to her in Atlanta by arts writer Jerry Cullum.

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Dorothy O'Connor creates magical world at Tinney