Jo Tammaro Interview
Profile
Biography
Gallery
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images belongs to the Artist. Copyright of
interview belongs to Ovenden Contemporary (Art
Promotions) Limited. Any un-authorised use is
strictly prohibited. All rights are reserved.
(c) 2008 Ovenden Contemporary (Art Promotions)
Limited
The year is split in half for Jo Tammaro. There's
the summer season, from April to early September,
when the sun shines (sometimes) and the tourists
drive down the M2 en masse and invade Thanet, day
after day. Then there's off-season, when the wind
blows and the sea crashes and the sky greys and
the tourists go to Bluewater Shopping Centre
instead. You can see this effect, to some degree,
in the images that she creates. There are the
signature off-season photographs with waves
breaking over harbour walls and then there are
the beautifully crisp spring-like images of the
yachts in the Royal Harbour at Ramsgate, the sun
shimmering off the mill pond sea. It seems
obvious which one she prefers. Jo is proud of the
fact that she has only been to Bluewater, a
breathtaking cathedral to the new religion of
shopping, only once.
"You've turned to photography only recently. What prompted that?" There's barely a pause. She's thought about this already.
"The only thing I can pinpoint it to was a gorgeous autumn day last year."
"What happened?"
" I was enjoying the solitude of Botany Bay and just happened to have my not very impressive digital camera with me. I was walking along the beach and, out of nowhere, through the gap where a cliff has separated, I disturbed a huge flock of birds,. They must have been feasting on whatever delights the rock-pools held that day."
"You've made it clear that you like the sea birds but what was so amazing about that?", she smiles briefly.
"They all rose into the air at once and flew in unison about ten feet off the ground along the entire stretch of that bay."
" -you had your camera with you."
"Yes, so I snapped away. I only had about 2 seconds to get my shot but I was so excited I ran home to see what I'd managed to capture."
"Were you pleased with the results?"
"No, not at all. I was hugely disappointed! The quality of the picture was awful and the zoom on the camera was inadequate. What I had in my mind's eye wasn't what I saw on the screen and that was so frustrating! I was gutted!"
"So how did that lead you to taking photography more seriously?"
"Well, that same day I went out and bought myself a new camera."
"Ah."
"The improvement in quality was immense. Everytime I go out with my camera now, I want to see what it can do. It's like a challenge. So, that's the moment I started taking it seriously, spending hours at a time experimenting and then more hours at my computer seeing what the results were."
"It's something that was already in you though?"
"Yes, I've always been a bit of a snapper and, possibly, it's a natural progression from my past interludes with drawing, graphic design and suchlike. Imagery is a powerful thing. There's nothing more satisfying than capturing something you're passionate about, which for me is the area in which I live, my children, my multitide of animals. My passion for this even took over with my dislikes once, which shocked the hell out of me! I got the most amazing image of a spider, hairs on legs and all... I HATE spiders!" I can confirm- she certainly does.
"You've turned to photography only recently. What prompted that?" There's barely a pause. She's thought about this already.
"The only thing I can pinpoint it to was a gorgeous autumn day last year."
"What happened?"
" I was enjoying the solitude of Botany Bay and just happened to have my not very impressive digital camera with me. I was walking along the beach and, out of nowhere, through the gap where a cliff has separated, I disturbed a huge flock of birds,. They must have been feasting on whatever delights the rock-pools held that day."
"You've made it clear that you like the sea birds but what was so amazing about that?", she smiles briefly.
"They all rose into the air at once and flew in unison about ten feet off the ground along the entire stretch of that bay."
" -you had your camera with you."
"Yes, so I snapped away. I only had about 2 seconds to get my shot but I was so excited I ran home to see what I'd managed to capture."
"Were you pleased with the results?"
"No, not at all. I was hugely disappointed! The quality of the picture was awful and the zoom on the camera was inadequate. What I had in my mind's eye wasn't what I saw on the screen and that was so frustrating! I was gutted!"
"So how did that lead you to taking photography more seriously?"
"Well, that same day I went out and bought myself a new camera."
"Ah."
"The improvement in quality was immense. Everytime I go out with my camera now, I want to see what it can do. It's like a challenge. So, that's the moment I started taking it seriously, spending hours at a time experimenting and then more hours at my computer seeing what the results were."
"It's something that was already in you though?"
"Yes, I've always been a bit of a snapper and, possibly, it's a natural progression from my past interludes with drawing, graphic design and suchlike. Imagery is a powerful thing. There's nothing more satisfying than capturing something you're passionate about, which for me is the area in which I live, my children, my multitide of animals. My passion for this even took over with my dislikes once, which shocked the hell out of me! I got the most amazing image of a spider, hairs on legs and all... I HATE spiders!" I can confirm- she certainly does.
This is an interesting point. The powerful,
unfriendly sea isn't Jo's only haven. She has
other ways of 'escaping'. The world of Tammaro
contains a veritable menagerie of animals as well
as three fast-growing sons. She keeps horses (a
keen interest since she was a girl- she cajoled
me into riding once), shows Boxer dogs and has
all sorts of other four-legged creatures sharing
her attention. No spiders though. So are the
animals another way of 'removing' herself from
the tribulations of life?
"I've just acquired my first prospective show dog, so we'll see how things go with her. The place in my life that my animals inhabit has been the subject of much thought lately; I've come to the conclusion they fill a space where perhaps other things should be. They don't let me down either! Do you remember 'cat woman' of Ramsgate? That'll be me one day, you mark my words." She smiles...uneasily. "I feel the need to fill my entire life up with 'stuff'. I have my three sons, I work part time, I have my horse as well as the other dogs and smaller animals and soon i'll start travelling around the country showing my boxer pup."
I agree- that's a fair bit of 'stuff'.
"I'm also thinking about rescuing some battery hens..." She raises up her hands to me as a gesticulated 'stop sign'. "I won't even go there- this isn't the time or place, but suffice to say I'm passionate about all living things! My eleven year old has been a vegetarian for three years now."
So where does photography fit into this crammed schedule?
"I can't bear to leave a minute spare, life is for living, and whatever I try to do, it doesn't seem to fulfill me - I feel that I've still to find my niche and have a burning need to be hugely successful at something." Photography? "I've yet to ascertain!!!"
"I've just acquired my first prospective show dog, so we'll see how things go with her. The place in my life that my animals inhabit has been the subject of much thought lately; I've come to the conclusion they fill a space where perhaps other things should be. They don't let me down either! Do you remember 'cat woman' of Ramsgate? That'll be me one day, you mark my words." She smiles...uneasily. "I feel the need to fill my entire life up with 'stuff'. I have my three sons, I work part time, I have my horse as well as the other dogs and smaller animals and soon i'll start travelling around the country showing my boxer pup."
I agree- that's a fair bit of 'stuff'.
"I'm also thinking about rescuing some battery hens..." She raises up her hands to me as a gesticulated 'stop sign'. "I won't even go there- this isn't the time or place, but suffice to say I'm passionate about all living things! My eleven year old has been a vegetarian for three years now."
So where does photography fit into this crammed schedule?
"I can't bear to leave a minute spare, life is for living, and whatever I try to do, it doesn't seem to fulfill me - I feel that I've still to find my niche and have a burning need to be hugely successful at something." Photography? "I've yet to ascertain!!!"
Continued...