MAMIE TINKLER | TOPS GALLERY

Solo Exhibition Climate Impact Report

Moonrise, 2023, watercolor and gouache on paper mounted to dibond

Introduction

Yorick in Space, Mamie Tinkler’s first solo exhibition with Tops Gallery in Memphis, features a new series of paintings in watercolor and gouache. The objects depicted in Tinkler’s paintings seem poised for action. While she deploys still life and photorealism as processes, her paintings do not fit neatly into either genre. The artist stages and photographs scenes using found and collected objects, theatrical lighting, mirrors, and painted backdrops. Her process of translating these photographs into paintings uses elements of chance and the inherent unpredictability of the watercolor medium to create saturated images of beauty and mystery. From cloistered interiors to celestial expanses, the paintings construct bridges between the real and the ethereal.  

The paintings in Yorick in Space are set in a far-off galaxy, or the distant past, or a place entirely imagined, or after-hours at the theater, or in an artist’s studio, or in the artist’s mind. The characters play their roles on uncanny stages, instantly recognizable as objects, places or situations, but conduct themselves nonsensically. Too concrete to be fantasy, too absurd to be true, the images function instead as a kind of object-theater, both comedic and dramatic. Vanitas painting (a sub-genre of still life) has always had a broad brief: commenting on the very nature of mortality and the inevitability of death. The title Yorick In Space is a reference to an early space program that sent primates into orbit to test their ability to survive. I propose that we are facing mortality on a new, planetary scale.

About the gallery

Tops Gallery is an art gallery located in Memphis, TN. Tops opened in October of 2012. The main gallery is located in the basement of 400 South Front Street. Tops is focused on exhibiting artists with ties to the city of Memphis, along with self-taught or under-recognized artists from around the mid-South. The gallery adopted the existing space - a former coal cellar in a historic building - with minimal alterations. Walls are the original cement, which means that no extra materials are used and discarded as exhibitions come and go. Most of the exhibitions are transported by the gallery owner in a moving truck or by the artists themselves in a rented vehicle - with the occasional exhibition being transported by air freight (FedEx). 

Artist’s Statement

My studio practice has distinct phases: I collect objects with a particular visual resonance: vintage statuary, industrial detritus, foraged feathers and wood, fruits and vegetables, flowers, crystals. I stage them within a mise-en-scene amidst wooden sets, mirrors, and curtains; light them, and photograph them extensively, making dozens of small adjustments along the way. I then use selected photographs as a basis for paintings in watercolor and gouache. In developing the images that will become paintings, I look for those that appear to touch another world, or a different consciousness – a moment of magic that can’t be explained by what we know. I use realism – making images that instinctively feel ‘recognizable,’  to describe the edge of our conscious mind – to reach into metaphysics, the nature of knowing.

I paint only in watercolor, and to me, the inherent unpredictability of the medium yields mystery and beauty. From cloistered interiors to celestial expanses, the paintings construct bridges between the real and the ethereal. Watercolor is generally smaller-scaled than canvas-based work, so my paintings naturally require less energy to transport.

The work starts with collecting things. This part of the process is most closely linked to my personal environmental practices. I go to antique stores, thrift stores, and flea markets, looking for objects that feel like they could have a second life. I also walk in the woods and go to farmers markets, looking for items that vibrate on multiple frequencies. These habits overlap with my daily life - in which I think a lot about the stuff that’s coming in and out of my life, where it came from, and where it will go afterwards. For some time now, I’ve tried to buy only used clothes (I make exceptions for shoes, and sometimes for jeans, but only those without spandex that will last for many years). All of my furniture is secondhand, almost all from Craigslist, and a few things from local thrift stores. I use Craigslist to give away things that I don’t have a use for, if it’s possible that someone else will (they usually do!). I compost my food scraps by taking them to the farmer’s market - a habit that keeps me engaged with the visual life of food. Over the years I’ve painted items from the market - heirloom tomatoes, pink oyster mushrooms, squashes, even a skein of wool. A deep involvement with the life of objects is at the root of what I paint. 

Hand (The Conjurer), 2023, watercolor and gouache on paper mounted to dibond

Reflection on CIR

This process of producing a CIR helped me realize what challenges we face in reducing our carbon footprint, and also confirmed what I already know to be true - individual action is not enough, government-scale investments in infrastructure and regulatory intervention are needed. First, it’s hard to know how much we are reducing our carbon footprint when we adopt new technologies, if full disclosure isn’t mandated by the government - when I research whether car travel or air travel is better, or whether electric vehicles actually have a lower carbon footprint than gas-powered, the answer is ‘it’s complicated, read more…’ I rented a Tesla EV with the intention of making the least polluting trip to Tennessee possible. Tesla has the best charging network for EV’s by far, but their CEO is ideologically abhorrent and also runs other companies that actively damage the environment - like SpaceX. Noticing the charger infrastructure helped me understand how much investment is needed to make lower-carbon travel possible. 

Driving the full distance and back gave me plenty of time to think about the nature of a car-centric society. I passed several massive highway expansion projects in the works - lanes being added to interstate highways, or new overpasses being built to create new exits. I considered the likely billions of dollars each of these highway projects represented, and how that money is not being spent on rail systems - which could if properly implemented not only help reduce fossil fuel use but also reduce the massive economic burden that cars impose on poor people. I passed countless dead deer - evidence of a complex problem involving the destruction of habitats, interruptions of wildlife corridors, the extirpation of natural predators and resulting overpopulation of deer, and the extreme high speeds now permitted on highways. I thought of the trauma of each incident - a human having a high-speed collision with a large animal, and the resulting pain to both the animal and the human. I passed several catastrophic car accidents, reminders that high-speed automotive travel is a very dangerous activity.

Two people traveled from New York to my exhibition - but neither could travel with me, because it took too much time to drive and they couldn’t take the time off work. Sometimes the lower-impact choices will be slower and more time-consuming, and if we can’t make space for them in our work life, they won’t be possible. 

In the process of performing this audit, I realized that I’m deeply uncomfortable asking other people to make changes in their behavior, and much more comfortable attempting to make changes on my own. I don’t identify as an activist, and while I’m open about my political and ethical beliefs, I tend to avoid confrontation. This was a barrier for me, as I certainly recognize that individual choice is not remotely sufficient to address climate change, and governmental / corporate action will likely only follow from widespread calls from the public. So I need to get more accustomed to speaking out.

Exhibition Carbon Audit

Travel .213 + .85 + .28 = 1.343 tCO2e

Car travel

Breakdown of total actual emissions (1.443 tCO2e)

I traveled from New York to Memphis and back with my work as passenger cargo in a rented electric vehicle. After first reserving an SUV for the extra cargo space I expected to need, I downsized to a sedan once I realized that my cardboard-packed artworks would easily fit in the trunk. 

I drove a total of 2053 miles round-trip, including local drives to install the exhibition in Memphis. Using the stated kWh/mile rate for my vehicle, I calculated total emissions of 0.213 tCO2e. The equivalent trip with a gas-powered car would be 0.57 tCO2e. The savings gets trickier when factoring in the embodied energy that is expended on producing electric cars and their batteries - but that’s beyond the scope of this report. 

Guest travel - air

Two guests traveled round-trip from New York to Memphis for the exhibition. Both traveled economy on direct flights. Guest travel 0.85 tCO2e. 

Guest travel - car

This is somewhat beyond the scope of the report, but Memphis does not have viable public transportation options so people who attended the opening drove. But if 50 people travel 20 miles round-trip to see the exhibition, they would generate about .28 tCO2e. 

Impact of Materials Stipend

Breakdown of emissions without Materials Stipend (1.86 tCO2e)

I received a Materials Stipend from Artists Commit to support efforts to reduce the carbon footprint of the exhibition. I estimate that, had I chosen a conventional method of travel + crating + air freight, the carbon footprint of the show would have been:

Air travel increase of .207tCO2e over driving

Air freight .18tCO2e

Packaging (100lbs crates) .03.

Total .417 tCO2e avoided.

Materials Stipend funds were used as follows: 

Materials Stipend - EV rental fee + Tesla charging fees + tax $1153.14

Materials Stipend - overnight accommodations for travel to show, Knoxville TN $135.00

Materials Stipend - overnight accommodations for return, Luray VA $135.00

Tolls $60.98

Shipping .03 + .01 + .01 + .01  = .06 tCO2e

I avoided shipping my finished work by driving it instead. 

Road freight

I source my painting panels from a small business in Arizona. I work relatively small, so the dimensions and weight are modest. The company that makes the panels sends them via UPS. For this show I ordered three packages, and each traveled about 2400 miles. Emissions 0.03 tCO2e. 

Frames were ordered from a company in Massachusetts and fitted by a shop in Brooklyn. I estimate 50 lbs transported by road freight from Massachusetts to NYC.  Emissions .01 tCO2e

Local art moving

I drove back and forth a few times to the mounting studio in Brooklyn and the frame shop. I estimate 40 miles of local travel in an SUV. Emissions .01 tCO2e

Packaging - .01tCO2e

Artwork traveled to the exhibition in the same packaging used by the frame shop to pack the frames for local transport. Frames were wrapped in plastic that was not reusable because the tape used to secure it tore the plastic when we unwrapped the works. Cardboard will be reused at close of exhibition. 

Other sources:

Energy use emissions >.01tCO2e

The Tops Gallery space is approximately 1000 square feet. 

Grid emissions >.01tCO2e

Printed material: >.01tCO2e

The gallery printed a card to hand out in person to visitors. Carbon footprint >.01tCO2e

Miscellaneous

The gallery, artist, and artist’s family hosted an after-party at a family member’s apartment. We served fried chicken from a local restaurant. For a vegan option, the hosts offered vegetables purchased from a Memphis farmers’ market. Instead of using plastic cups, the hosts offered aluminum cups that are designed to be reused and are ‘infinitely recyclable’. The hosts used their own silverware rather than plastic serving utensils. 

One source calculates mean emissions per kg of chicken to be 10kg CO2eq (a measure combining carbon emissions and methane emissions). So for 10lbs of chicken (estimating that 30 people partook and average serving size is ⅓ lb) = 4.54kg = 45kg of emissions. https://ourworldindata.org/carbon-footprint-food-methane

Installation view of “Mamie Tinkler: Yorick in Space” at Tops Gallery, Memphis

Waste and Materials Use and Destination Summary

I had three unused frames from my last order, and I made paintings specially to fit those frames so that I could reduce the new materials used. I ordered six new frames for the exhibition. Frames are designed to be fitted with museum glass or Optium acrylic upon sale and shipment to purchaser, to reduce both upfront cost, and the use of material for artworks that will be stored long-term. 

Watercolor and gouache do not require the use of solvents, so have a reduced environmental impact compared to oil and acrylic paint. I rinse my brushes in water, and the pigments go down the drain. I do occasionally use pigments that are considered toxic, like cadmiums, but I am looking for substitutions where I can.

	Key:
	Reuse	Will be re-used by this specific project/artist in the future
	Repurpose	Can be repurposed and re-used by another project, either sold, donated to artist or museum, etc
	Recycle	Placed in the recycling bin
	Refused	Opted not to use
	Landfill	Sent to a landfill
	Storage	Sent to storage without clear plan for reuse or repurpose
Waste and Materials Desination Summary
Materials	Quantity	Destination	Additional Sustainability Concerns	Notes
Frames	8	Repurpose		If works do not sell, frames can be repurposed for future shows
Packing material - cardboard	1	Reuse		Cardboard used by framer was used to transport artwork and can be reused at exhibition's close
Packing material - plastic	1	Landfill	does not biodegrade	Can't be reused
Packing material (cardboard) that panels were delivered in	3	Repurpose		Used in artist's studio to pack works in progress for local transport
Tape	1	Landfill		Can't be reused
Plastic cups at opening	10	Recycle	Plastic is often not recycled even when technically recyclable	Gallery mainly served beer in cans at the opening but a few visitors drank wine. There's no kitchen at the gallery to wash cups so plastic cups are sometimes used.
Aluminum cups at after-party	40	Repurpose		The after party was at an apartment with a dishwasher. Hosts served wine in reusable aluminum solo cups
Bottles and cans of beverages		Recycle		recyclable
Wall Vinyl	1	Landfill		Cannot be reused
Printed cards	500	Recycle		Cards were handed out to guests, rather than mailed. Remainders will be recycled
Crates	2	Refused		By transporting the artworks as passenger cargo, we were able to get by without crates.
Printed photographs used in artist's studio	50	Storage		I print photographs as reference for painting, and tend to keep them in my studio rather than recycle.
Watercolor and gouache paint		Repurpose		The paint goes a pretty long way, so generally I don't use entire tubes for the show.
Watercolor masking fluid	3 jars, 25 ml	Landfill	contains resin
Brushes	various	Repurpose		replaced periodically, but last a long time
Packing materials for still life elements	various	Refused		Whenever possible, I buy materials in person from thrift stores, flea markets, street vendors, or antique vendors, forage for materials, or buy them at farmers markets, and use my own reusable bag. In this way I save on packing material used to ship things via Etsy or ebay, etc.

Credits

This report was produced by the artist in collaboration with Matt Ducklo from Tops Gallery, based on a template from Artists Commit. Thanks to Sarah Tinkler and Amy Batson for hosting a party in their home and helping to support sustainable options; to Daniel Greer and Matt Ducklo for artwork photography; Griffin Editions for hand-trimming the panels; East Frames for framing; Takako Tanabe from Ulterior Gallery for ongoing support. Thanks to Lost and Found Lab for the month-long residency during which I started painting the show, and for the Passive House and Electric Vehicle inspiration. 

Thanks to Artists Commit mentor Jessica Gath for support in producing this report, as well as Laura Lupton of Artists Commit for initiating the conversation with me about sustainability.

Link to exhibition page: https://www.topsgallery.com/