A Seattle photography display pays tribute to a father by his son
In the heart of Seattle, the exhibit "Finding Positive in the Negatives" by Bill Tinney at The Seattle Light Room serves as a poignant tribute to his father, David Tinney, a photojournalist during the 1970s and 1980s. This exhibition not only celebrates David's photography career, but also highlights his impactful photojournalistic contributions that captured iconic images of famous people and pivotal cultural moments of that era.
The title of the exhibit, "Finding Positive in the Negatives," metaphorically reflects both the photographic process and the effort to find meaning and value within the historical and personal legacies documented through these photographs. The show, which runs through Aug. 30, honours the life and work of David Tinney, shedding light on his role in documenting significant social and cultural narratives.
The exhibit offers a unique blend of personal and cultural significance. For Bill Tinney, this project has given him a rare opportunity to see the world through his father's eyes. The Seattle Light Room has further enhanced the significance by organising artist talks, providing a platform for discussion and deeper engagement with David Tinney’s work and its impact.
David Tinney's career was marked by a diverse set of roles. He worked for newspapers across the country, including as a photographer for the Binghamton Sun-Bulletin in New York, a photo editor at the Idaho Statesman, and a graphics and photo editor at The Columbian in Vancouver. After graduating from seminary in Ohio, David served as pastor at several United Methodist churches in Washington from 1995 to 2019.
In his later years, David gravitated toward photographing hummingbirds, bees, flowers, and big landscapes at golden hour. This change in focus was due to his dementia, which made capturing more complex scenes challenging. However, these photographs, included in the exhibit, are intimate and depict people in their natural state, offering a unique insight into David's artistic vision.
Visitors to the "Finding Positive in the Negatives" exhibit felt moved by the images, with many commenting on the authenticity and ease with which David captured his subjects. David's photos show his compassion and ability to put his subjects at ease, a testament to his skills as a photojournalist.
The exhibit includes color photos of David and Bill, as well as dozens of black-and-white photos depicting an array of celebrities, scenery, sports, music, and ordinary people. One of the most significant images in the exhibit is a black-and-white photograph of a protest against the Vietnam War, which David Tinney, who died July 22 at 75 after a decline from vascular dementia, captured during his career.
After David moved into a memory care facility in January, Bill felt a renewed urgency to complete the photo exhibit project. Bill wants to honour his father's work by giving him something huge through this project. David would have been humbled by the attention the "Finding Positive in the Negatives" exhibit received, but may have been a little embarrassed by it. Bill compared his father to Forrest Gump, emphasising that David lived an authentic life with courage.
On the morning after David's death, Bill made his mother seasoned tofu and eggs for breakfast in the kitchen that David had refurbished. This simple act was a testament to the deep bond that Bill shared with his father and the love that he held for him. The "Finding Positive in the Negatives" exhibit serves as a poignant reminder of David Tinney's life and work, preserving and highlighting the importance of photojournalism as a record of social and cultural history. In November 2024, Bill Tinney plans to exhibit more than 60 of his father's prints at The Seattle Light Room, offering visitors another opportunity to immerse themselves in the world of David Tinney's photography.
- Exhibits in Bellevue and Seattle's home-and-garden and lifestyle sections could feature the work of Bill Tinney, showcasing his father's impactful photographic contributions to sports, theater, and other cultural moments.
- Relationships within the Tinney family were profoundly affected by David Tinney's career, as his dementia made him increasingly focused on photographing nature and simple landscapes in his later years.
- As David Tinney's health declined, his family dynamics grew more complex, with Bill Tinney feeling a renewed urgency to complete the photo exhibit project to honor his father and their shared loving bond.
- The Seattle Light Room's "Finding Positive in the Negatives" exhibit not only captures the essence of David Tinney's photographic legacy but also vividly portrays the family dynamics and lifestyle of the Tinney family.
