Tom Chambers, Richmond, Virginia

Tom Chambers is a photographer based out of Richmond Virgina.

Tom’s photography draws on the range of experiences he encountered during the early years of his life. He was born on a farm in the Amish area of southeastern Pennsylvania. After high school Tom joined the Navy and spent a year on a patrol boat base in Vietnam and three years on ships in the Pacific Ocean and Mediterranean Sea. In the years following his Navy enlistment he hitchhiked and traveled across North America. With the skills learned in art school, photography has become the medium through which Tom expresses his observations about the fragility of life.

With his photography Tom constructs photomontages using images taken in different areas of the US, Canada, and Mexico. Drawing heavily upon elements from Mexican Indian religious art and retablos, he juxtapose these images in contrasting layers to create a sense of peril, symbolizing life’s vulnerability. His goal is to form an improbable, yet possible, view of the world characterized by an aura of mystery and spiritual narrative. Rather than considering my photographs in a literal or representational way, Tom hopes the viewer contemplates his work on an emotional level.

Images Copyright: Tom Chambers