Tamsyn Adams

Tamsyn Adams

My early work was characterised by an interest in narrative and the passing of time, especially as it is constituted in material remains. I was (and still am) interested in the way that the effects of time manifest themselves in oppositions - the sense of absence is inherent in the actual material remains, or memory, of something that was. The idea of preservation only has significance when in relation to the process of decay. Photography is an especially interesting example of this - embodying a desire to preserve and yet bound, like all attempts at preservation, to fail.

In recent work, I have extended this early interest to address more loaded questions of identity and collective memory - looking, for example, at the ways in which social relations are changing in South Africa. This process has raised questions about the ethics of taking photographs, and of looking at, or reading them.

In addition to my own work I have for the past few years been involved in photographing different bands, as well as taking on web and graphic design commissions.