Tamera Avery creates provocative figurative works that challenge viewers to contemplate the complexities of human existence. Her paintings usually feature masked or costumed figures displayed against dark backgrounds. The artistic process begins with collage, incorporating photographs of her adult children in costumes, combined with found images. Influenced by Francis Bacon, her large-scale oil paintings reflect on existential themes. Despair, division, and hope are prevalent concepts within her work, addressing contemporary social and environmental issues that resonate deeply with her.
"It is important to me to have a connection with my subjects. The connection helps me to intuitively move through the process. I combine these photographs with found images to create an initial collage and then I sit with it for months, or years, changing and manipulating it over time."
"What I appreciated about Bacon's work was the role that the environmental structure and bold colors played in his figurative paintings."
"Infused in my work, are the concepts of despair, division, and hope. I care deeply about what is happening in the world today and bring those feelings to bear through characters held in intense comportment."
"I find the long-term implications of the current social, political, and environmental decay overwhelming and hard to reconcile. In my paintings, I..."
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