Art & Life with Tamara Fox

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tamara Fox.

Tamara, please kick things off for us by telling us about yourself and your journey so far.
I was born and raised here in sunny Los Angeles, California.

I believe growing up here offers a kind of predisposition for becoming an artist. I grew up swimming in the inspirations of famed creatives—tracing their footsteps through everyday life. By experiencing life as a young girl through the filter of iconic photographs and films shot in the stomping grounds I knew so well, I learned that art is all about perspective. Noticing the beauty this world presents and learning to use that foundation to build a vision of my own became an intrinsic part of who I am.

Not to mention the art-infused culture Los Angeles boasts—I adore this city for its appreciation of the unusual and the acceptance of the artist here that comes from it. As an artist myself, I yearn to capture the essence of the rough-cut gems of human beings that we have here and to capture the many unique pockets of culture that come to light under this Southern California sun.

I’ve always thought LA bred more creative people due to the sheer diversity in the landscape and the subcultures that emerge from its many corners. From the panoramic views atop hidden canyon roads, down to the glow of seedy neon-lit dives outlining Sunset Boulevard, and over to the salt-soaked scenery of Venice Beach – here lives a bounty of scenic and architectural stimulation.

The vastness of this city means LA is a home to every kind of mind, so dare to be different, dare to be whoever the hell you feel like being. Why? Because you want to. Get bored? Try on something new until it feels right. Dress up and be the characters you dream about, play the part, and learn something new along the way – this city is your oyster. This city is the reason why I’m an artist today.

Can you give our readers some background on your art?
I am a photographer, I shoot on both digital and film.

For me, creation is like a breath: To live and experience is to inhale—to create is to exhale. Art is the product of the mind, and the mind is the product of experience. A photograph is executed by the body and machinery but is sourced from the heart. The camera is the observer and plays many roles in different hands under different circumstances; it is ever changing like a chameleon. I adapt to those changes as they come, flowing like water in a river of inspiration. I photograph what I am drawn to, but there is so much to be drawn to in this world. I can only dream of being able to immortalize it all through the eye of my lens, but I do my best to capture the best of it—the crème de la crème of this oddball universe. My sense of wonder and imagination continues to propel me through this world, camera in hand. That’s the beauty of it all.

There are, of course, some things I am drawn to more than others. I am drawn to color, particularly pastel or muted tones, or rich jewel tones. I am drawn to feminine beauty in all its forms; I believe the energy of Venus lives in the skin of all identifying women. I am drawn to imagery of human sexuality, from delicate subtleties and softness to visualizations of dominance and aggression. And I am drawn to themes of nostalgia, from the sophisticated starlets of old Hollywood to the floral cloaked girls of the psychedelic sixties. My visual palette is diverse, but as I continue to create, I fine tune my attractions.

I’m building a relationship with the world through the lens of my camera, an exchange of energy. Through art and because of art I am more connected to everything around me, absorbing every detail. Art has taught me to feel the world more deeply, and in return, I create.

Do you think conditions are generally improving for artists? What more can cities and communities do to improve conditions for artists?
I think while social media has increased the visibility of art, it has devalued it to the general public, which I find quite unfortunate. The premise of art as a whole is founded upon the concept of value on several levels. In art, value is created in its context, it is created in the story behind a piece, or behind a collection of works. In the world of social media, imagery is prioritized, and images are in constant flow. This gives the audience a looming expectation that there is always something newer and better on the way, which discourages us from taking the time to understand a work in its full scope. The value of art is boiled down to just the image. The effect on the modern day artist is that when your creation is reduced purely to its aesthetic value, and is constantly being compared to thousands of other works in that light, not only is an artist pushed to prioritize the motives behind their art to a surface level, but also the artist cannot price their work fairly for all that it is worth. I think that’s a big part of the economic crisis the industry is facing.

The value in owning a particular piece in your home is that you get to enjoy it every day, however, the price people are willing to pay to enjoy a particular piece of art on a daily basis has decreased. Technology has made access to images as easy as ever. In order to enjoy a particular work in your home, you used to have to have either the piece itself, a reproduction, or a printed image of it. The points of entry for consumption of art were moderated. Nowadays, the floodgates have opened. You will see many people taking smartphone photos of an art piece they are drawn to at an art fair, or saving the image of a piece they like to their phones from the internet. It has been made simple for people to keep art in a form that makes it easy for them to enjoy on demand, and that accessibility causes people to feel a sense of ownership of a particular piece of work which short circuits the gap in the formerly pay to play space of the art world.

I am able to put myself in the shoes of the modern consumer who asks, “Why would I pay so much money to have something I can keep for free?” It’s an innocent thought, really, especially with the value of art being reduced as it is, likened to the value of any passing image.

But to that consumer, to the audiences of art, I urge you to be reminded of the artist, the purpose of their art, and the costs incurred in creating that art. I urge you to be reminded that the final visual form of a piece does not define its full story, and I urge you to be diligent in reminding yourself not to take our modern day access to art for granted – the industry is reliant upon it.

What’s the best way for someone to check out your work and provide support?
The best way for people to see my work is either through my website or Instagram, and the best way for people to support my work is simply by letting me know you dig what I’m doing, or sharing what catches your eye. Hearing these things warms my soul, fuels the artistic fire within me, and moves me to keep creating

Contact Info:

• Website: https://foxxyy.myportfolio.com/
• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/babyshotme/

Image Credit:
Tamara Fox

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.