Regional Photography Exhibition

November 01, 2020 – January 31, 2021

Artist Statement

Increasingly over the years I have been photographing when I am not painting and love both mediums. Photography allows me to capture marvelous forms of nature, color, texture, line, shape, movement, and energy which are evolving. The act of capturing images with the lens of the camera is a metaphor for my artistic process. It allows me to process the world that I observe, filtering it through my psyche and present it to my audience. In creating images, I look for a structure, whether it is abstract, emotive, historical, culturally archival, personally narrative or an in-depth meditation. In creating a body of work, I am struck by the visual motifs that we find in connection to something primal, elemental, and divine.
Though the photographic images in this show are wide-ranging, they all spring from one sentiment—my being intrigued by nature’s forms, by human depiction of nature’s forms, or by the possibilities of my own artistic juxtaposition of nature’s forms.

-Tazim Jaffer

From the Director

The art of photography requires the unique ability to spot a potential subject and to see it ultimately as a work of art. Such a remarkable talent capable of turning such raw potential into an aesthetic statement is owned by very few. But such talent is contained in the eyes and imagination of Tazim Jaffer. Significant art stops us, holds us, and moves us to think and to rethink. Significant art enables us to view our world as if never seen before. The creators of such art possess a broad talent. They must. And Tazim Jaffer is an artist whose abilities are far ranging as can be seen in this extraordinary presentation on view at The Butler Institute of American Art.

Her photography moves between unique portraiture, the unpredictable twists and turns of nature, and pure abstraction. She has chosen black and white photography not only because of its classical nature but also because it welcomes the viewer to participate in the process. The viewer’s imagination is called upon if only to add a tone or two, or to leave it in the artist’s black, white and grey state.

On a personal level, I have known and followed Tazim’s work for many years. She is gifted painter and printmaker. She works with fabric and is comfortable in all three dimensional media. She is blessed with a wonderful eye, and for me ranks as one of the finest photographers in our state. Her photographs can be mysterious or playful. They can be rich in narratives or totally abstract. The work can in some cases be seen as journalistic with a heavy slant toward formalism. On the other hand it can be as visually heavy as any photography created in this century. And it can be playful and entertaining. This is genuine talent, and we are pleased and honored that the work of Tazim Jaffer graces the photography gallery of The Butler Institute of American Art.

– Dr. Louis Zona, Director