If you could present a microcosm of the state of Nashville’s art scene in 2015, you’d be hard pressed to come up with a better one than the exhibits that were simultaneously on view this spring at the Frist Center and Sherrick and Paul Gallery. Both were sumptuous large-scale portraits by celebrated female photographers, but while Barney’s work showed often candid shots of blue-blooded Europeans in luxe homes, Grannan’s photos included more traditionally staged head shots of California’s marginalized underclass. In all those differences and similarities, it’s clear that there’s more room — in both the literal and figurative senses — for great art exhibits in Nashville.
