Artist Jennifer Adams recently described her work in an online interview as “analog, tender, fragile, simple. For my photography, I tend to use natural light, everyday subjects and simple, toy cameras. My other work favors old papers and book pages, simple text and fragile textures.” She finds compelling subject matter in her hometown of Tacoma, a place with time-worn edges and industrial districts, and whose famous “grit” may mask unvarnished moments awaiting discovery.
Adams is presenting Landscapes, an exhibition of photographs commissioned by Spaceworks Tacoma at the Woolworth Building, opening July 15. In keeping with the “analog” tone of the installation, she will display the photographs clipped onto a clothesline – a nostalgic symbol that bespeaks the rituals of 1950’s and ’60’s suburban America. Many of the photographs were shot with a plastic toy camera, called a Holga, that she favors for its soft, dream-like effects. The photos, while taken locally, do “not necessarily depict iconic Tacoma locations,” she says.
Adams is a photography instructor and an entrepreneur, in addition to being a studio artist. She earned her entrepreneurial chops with the ongoing, indie craft fair, Tacoma is for Lovers. In 2010, she designed the Spaceworks pop shop, fly, where she rocked the hip-and-homespun product lines of Tacoma artists. She has been a visiting artist at the Tacoma Art Museum and Museum of Glass, and a freelance photographer for Sub-Pop Records. This year, Adams was nominated for the Foundation of Art Award from the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation, rewarding artistic talent and contribution to the creative community. Landscapes, the Woolworth Building, 11th & Broadway, July 15 – October 31, 2011.