Discovering the value of safe spaces with Tiffany Thomson

The artist shares her life experience through her work.

Tiffany Thomson is using her experience growing up as a queer person through religion in a small rural Alberta town as inspiration for her photography work. Through Tiffany’s work, the theme of safety is expressed in a public and private setting, with an emphasis on members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community, with the goal to show that the fight for the rights and safety of that community isn’t over.

Pride In Business: What inspired you to choose photography and painting as a medium to express your art?

Tiffany Thomson: Photography allows me to document and hold on to a moment in time - something tangible that acts like truth. Painting allows me to create something out of nothing, creating my own truth. The two mediums are completely different to me, but really create a balance.

PIB: Did you have any childhood experiences that shaped the way you chose to present art?

T.T: I was in High School when I discovered black and white photography. I spent every spare moment I had processing images in the darkroom at school. It was magic for me.

PIB: What attracted you towards photography?

T.T: Photography forces the viewer to take their time with the moments of life, to really study them and contemplate them. While time moves so fast, and our memories flicker, photography becomes a way to hold onto those moments.

PIB: Why is the theme of safety important in your work, and how do you represent it?

T.T: I was raised and lived most of my adult life in an extreme religion. As a closeted gay woman, I had a lot of times when I didn’t feel safe. Within the queer community, I have found so many people who have had similar experiences, and I feel like it is important to give those voices and experiences space to be considered. I often photograph people in their designated safe spaces in order to reflect on the things that connect us as humans, rather than divide us. Black and white photography gives me the chance to present each person simply as a human being, without the distractions of bright colours and flashy costumes - it is just the emotion, the vulnerability, simply the person that we see. I think this enables a connection that sometimes gets lost when representing the queer community.

PIB: Are there any artists who have influenced your style of work?

T.T.: I love the documentary work of Mary Ellen Mark - especially the Streetwise and Streetwise Revisited collection. Her work changed everything for me. Francesca Woodman’s work had a similar effect on me, but inspired a more artistic approach, rather than a strict documentarian style. I like the idea of combining the two styles.

PIB: Why is it important for you to showcase private and public queerness in your work?

T.T.: People feel a different level of safety whether they are in a private or public spaces. This fascinates me. For queer people who have so often felt unsafe in public spaces, highlighting the differences they feel between the two is striking, and important to explore. Why do we feel unsafe in public spaces? Are there places we can actually be our whole selves and not have to look over our shoulder? I think exploring these issues can shed light on them, especially for those who might not have an intimate view into the queer experience.

PIB: How do you integrate your identity into your work?

T.T.: My work is often self-reflexive. I have begun to realize this more and more. The commonalities I feel with my subjects often come through. I am definitely drawn to people who have had similar experiences in life, and often want to tell their stories - in this way, I am telling my own.

PIB: What would be the legacy you hope for with your work?

T.T.: I hope that my work creates connections between the viewer and the subject - that it evokes shared human experiences, and gives space for those commonalities to resonate.

PIB: What is the message you want people to retain as they leave your exposition?

T.T.: I would like people to consider their connections or disconnection to the people in the images, to consider their experiences and biases, and make space to appreciate our shared humanity.