Whiting Tennis

(American, born 1959)

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.