Tom Fields
Artist Biography
"Photography has opened a door for me to explore the world," says Fields, "it's a cultural journey that continually becomes a new and dynamic adventure." Born in Tahlequah, Oklahoma, and a member of the Cherokee and Muscogee Creek tribes, he attended film school in Santa Fe, New Mexico, studied art at Northeastern State University, and did a stint at a photography school in Tulsa.
He developed an early interest in photography while looking at old family photo albums. The timeliness and graphic nature of those black and white images seemed to beckon him toward the medium. That was the beginning of Field's passion for photography.
His exhibiting career began in 1979 when two of his photographs were accepted in Tulsa's Philbrook Museums Annual Indian Art show. These were the first photographs ever accepted into the show. At that time, photography was not considered a serious "Indian Art" medium. Fortunately, that has changed over the years.
Fields has participated in several photography exhibits, such as group shows in Los Angeles, Santa Fe, and Minneapolis and a man show at the Native and Inuit Photographers Gallery in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. He participated in a thematic residency at Banff Art Center in Banff. He had a photography exhibit at the Oklahoma State Capitol titled "Nativescapes" A View From the Interior." and has also participated in a group show at the New Orleans Museum of Art titled "The Art of Caring."
His surroundings most influence his work. "I've learned to photograph what's close to me, physically and spiritually." He feels his best work is done when working within these themes. "I like to photograph close to the moment; I want the viewer to feel and see what I experience."
Fields is now devoting full-time to the art of photography and scanning his archive of negatives dating back to the 70's.
Artist Statement
I photograph to tell a concise and fluent story - where each image is a frame within a larger narrative. My interpretation of that story is the precise moment I capture an image.
To accurately portray Native people, one must understand the soul of what makes us persevere. It's being able to experience the depth of our culture, which is more than just artifacts, art, or dance. It's the everyday movements of life, such as dinners, adoptions, namings, births, graduations, and spiritual ceremonies.
Photographers work differently from other artists. Their chosen calling requires them to be more than passive observers of an event. For my work, I try to photograph close to the subject to capture the envisioned moment.
The relationship between photographer and subject ultimately brings the photograph to life. The critical balance between intrusion and respectful observance, objective reality and subjective vision, description, and emotion creates the power of the interpretive documentary image.
My work is about producing creative and realistic images from the emotional landscapes of Native people. I’m always looking for those personal moments when people share hope and are living their culture. Photography is a way for me to visually define what it means to be Native.
Early in my photography career, I learned to explore what was close to my heart. I photograph the people and communities I am part of. Many of the people I have photographed have passed on to the spirit world. I am thankful to have a record of their legacy.
