TJ WALKER
Intimate portraits of Chicago creatives.
Basement: How has quarantine been for you creatively? Has the isolation impacted your flow?
TJ: Honestly quarantine has been mostly good for me creatively. The forced break gave me time to reevaluate what I was doing with my art. It also gave me the time to fully realize a project on my own as well as brainstorm new ideas. I’d say this has helped me gain more of a flow to my work that I didn’t really have before.
Basement: Much of your portfolio seems to be portraiture- what do you look for on a shoot? What catches your eye when you’re taking photos?
TJ: When I’m taking someone's portrait my main goal is to stay true to that person. I don’t like to give too much direction in the way of makeup and wardrobe because I’d prefer if they dressed in a way that will make them feel comfortable. Making people look and feel like they’re in their element is much easier that way. I also love to use natural sunlight whenever I can when I shoot. I’ll usually prioritize the look of the light over the actual location.
Basement: What narratives do you hope come across in your work?
TJ: This usually depends entirely on whatever project I’m working on at the time. My most recent project “Mid-Lo” was meant to convey a feeling of nostalgia towards my home town. The project before that was about the mistreatment of women in the art world. So what I want to say is generally a case to case basis.
Basement: How did you get your start as a photographer?
TJ: Quite a while ago my mother bought a cheap Fujifilm Dslr with a fixed lens mostly for the purpose of documenting life events and such. One day she made me use the camera to take pictures of a party for her. After that I started using the camera more than she ever did. I took a few photography classes in highschool and did a lot in my freetime. For about a year I did more graphic design instead of photography just to see what I liked more and that just made me realize how much I liked photography. So I decided to continue down that path in college.
Basement: Who and what what inspires your work?
TJ: I’d say I get inspiration from various artists in different mediums as well as other photographers. Hirohiko Araki and Inio Asano are two mangaka whose illustrations inspired me alot early on and still do now. Andy Warhol's work has been a huge inspiration for me more recently. As far as photographers go the list could go on forever. I’m always finding old and new photographers who inspire me everyday. The works of Alec Soth, Cindy Sherman, and Gordon Parks have always been constants though. But the thing that probably inspires me the most is the world itself. Constantly having to observe my surroundings has made me realize how beautiful our world is. Whether it be the people, the nature, or man-made buildings.
Basement: Has your work changed or evolved at all amidst the current state of our society?
TJ: I think my work is definitely in the process of evolving. Everything going on has made me think alot about the stories I can tell with my work as well as how my own story may factor into my work.
Basement: What do you think is special about being an artist in Chicago?
TJ: The sheer amount of different creative people alone is a big benefit to being an artist in chicago. The opportunities to collaborate with other artists are numerous. I feel like I can’t go more than a few weeks without meeting a new artist that I’d love to collaborate with. The general atmosphere is just different as well. Just being in the city makes me feel more creative in general. It always feels like someone appreciates and encourages my creativity whether I know them or not.
Basement: What is special about being an artist in this generation?
TJ: The ability to pursue art as a career is the first thing that comes to mind. This isn’t really something many people had the luxury of choosing to do until recently. Especially BIPOC. People who aren’t White Cishet men are finally starting to be seriously accepted more in creative fields.
Basement: What’s next for you?
TJ: The world is filled with alot of uncertainty right now, but I’m trying to not let that put a damper on what I want to achieve. Over the course of the next year I’ll be working on self publishing a new zine as well as displaying work at local exhibitions. I’m also going to be trying my hardest to do more collaborative work with musicians and other artists. Of course I’ll still be working on my undergraduate degree but you never know what’ll happen with art school. I just want to take it a day at a time.
“My hope is that this isn't just a “in the moment” kind of thing and that this becomes a constant.”
Basement: What do you think is next for the industry?
TJ: Corona has definitely left a huge mark on the art industry in general. I don’t see many positives coming from this situation specifically. My hope is that we as artists continue to support each other in any way we can. One positive I do see happening due to the social unrest is the hiring of more BIPOC and LGBTQ+ artists. We deserve to be able to tell our own stories and be included in the norm, and I feel like people are starting to finally recognize that enmass.
