Memphis in May unveils poster honoring Tunisia

Memphis in May's 2010 poster celebrating Tunisia was designed by artist Jed Jackson

The Memphis in May International Festival on Thursday unveiled its 2010 poster for honored country Tunisia, reflecting the African nation's heritage and influences ranging from ancient Phoenicia to the Ottoman Empire.

The poster by artist Jed Jackson, painting professor in the art department of the University of Memphis, is a gouache or opaque watercolor with white stucco buildings and arches with blue patterns against a dark blue sky and the blue waters of the Mediterranean Sea.

Jackson said the blue and white color themes are often repeated in Tunisia.

"I think it relates to the sky and the ocean," he said of the coastal nation which is the northernmost country in Africa sandwiched between Algeria and Libya.

The country is 40 percent desert and, for some, will mean a re-acquaintance with the nation where the United States led its first major operations in World War II. It was where the Allied Forces defeated German Field Marshal Erwin Rommel.

Jackson said he avoided artistic references to battle in the poster. Instead, a focal point is a bust suggesting ancient Greek and Roman influences. It also includes Arabic calligraphy, a mosaic tile floor and decorative elements typical of Ottoman art. The original painting was 16-by-20 inches, but the poster is about 24-by-30 inches, he said.

The poster, sponsored by Sovereign Wealth Management, is on view with other works by Jackson at the company's offices in the Sun Trust Building, 999 S. Shady Grove Road, Suite 301.

The 2010 poster will be available unsigned for $30 or as a limited edition signed and numbered version for $60. It will be sold in area galleries, frame shops and online at memphisinmay.org.

-- Michael Lollar: 529-2793

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