Tales of Tempt – Tanya Linney

Australian former model, Tanya Linney is enticing Sydney with her provocative collection Tales of Tempt. Using paint freely for the first time, her dynamic art is bound to challenge the viewer. Additionally, each work can be hung four ways to accentuate the importance of perception.

“The basis of this project was that the paint is meant to represent our true spirit. The first layer is the painting, then there’s a subliminal second layer, which is essentially the masking of the character. Similar to life when we’re trying to find our true spirit, but we get distracted by what we need to wear and look like,” says Linney.

“It’s about striking a nice balance between expression, and getting the story across in a way that’s challenging, but not too confronting. A good balance between good and evil, and light and dark, those sorts of polar opposites.”

Being a model, Linney has experienced the obsession of self-image and has seen the world through the eyes of a young girl who didn’t quite understand or connect with the fashion industry she was leading.

“I don’t think I was ever very present. I was just watching. I’ve always been curious about people [and] subconsciously I always knew there would be an artistic avenue I could be able to use this experience for,” she says. (RBM)

Jul 4-10, China Heights Gallery 16-28 Foster St, Surry Hills, free, chinaheights.com

BY ROCIO BELINDA MENDEZ