Jennifer Tzar
"I love the industry, creativity, people involved and the immense attention to perfection…Yeah, I love it."
Jennifer Tzar
Photographer, filmmaker
City of residence: NYC, USA
Location: Støperigata 2, Aker Brygge
Date and time:
Art Takeover: Thursday 11 October 18:00 - 21:00
Exhibition is up 12 & 13 October 12:00 - 19:00
Q & A:
COL: How old are you and where are you from?
JT: I’m 51 years old and from Minnesota. But I spent my adult life in New York City.
COL: What do you do?
JT: I’m a photographer, filmmaker, artist and entrepreneur.
COL: How long have you been doing it?
JT: It’s hard to say…it’s been a journey! I went to school for Science at the University of Minnesota, but dropped out to go explore New York and London. I ended up modeling and that was my first in, in the fashion business. I was dating a fashion designer and when I got pregnant with my daughter Ona, when I was 21, I needed a job so started assisting a couple of really big stylists. I started getting my own work as a stylist very quickly and did that (along with working on my band Peck Slip), until I was 30. I starting doing photography then, which took off pretty quickly, and at some point it was just a natural progression to move into making films.
COL: What inspired you to pursue a career in art?
JT: I always say being an artist is like a disease. You kind of can’t help it. I never pursued a career in art, it just sort to happened to me.
COL: Do you remember your first work of art?
JT: I grew up on a farm in Minnesota, that was in my family for 5 generations. All of my relatives were pretty ‘craftsy’. We made all of our own Christmas decorations, etc. Ever since I can remember there was always a way to be creative.
COL: If you could have any piece of art in history, what would you choose?
JT: Definitely something by Leonardo Di Vinci. He’s my art/science hero! I’d be happy with a piece of toilet paper he doodled on.
COL: What is your relationship with fashion?
JT: It depends on what day you ask me. I guess when I was younger and had accidently been sucked into it…I felt like it was really vapid, and just wanted to be someone with ‘substance’. So I ended up pursuing more journalism, travel, underwater, war photography, etc. for awhile. But I guess once I grew and became more comfortable with myself, I came to admit that I LOVE fashion. I love beauty. I love the industry, creativity, people involved and the immense attention to perfection…Yeah, I love it.
COL: What does the word “collective” mean to you as an artist?
JT: To me it means surrounding yourself with like minded people, where everyone enhances everyone else’s perspective and vision.
COL: What is the best and worst thing about being an artist?
JT: The best thing is being free, and unafraid to be who you really are. How you really FEEL. The worst thing is the rest of the world isn’t necessarily set up that way!
COL: Who do you admire?
JT: Obama, Katherine Hepburn, Richard Branson,Tesla, Dali Lama…so many people.
COL: What can we expect to see at this year’s festival?
JT: Parts of a life long project called ‘Antarctica Air’. It’s an aesthetic, metaphorical project based on ‘a fake airline to nowhere’. Starting with a childhood obsession with ice and airplanes. At some point it morphed into the fantasy of wanting to go somewhere where there was nothing. But then realizing that so much happens when there is nothing…and so therefore everything that happens, happens on the inside. It’s kind of a zen philosophy disguised in a ‘look’. But I always say, if I could describe my art well I probably wouldn’t want to make it. At this year’s festival I’ll be showing self-portraits I shot in Patagonia, and a phallic airplane that drips icebergs.
COL: Who are you excited to see?
JT: Everybody! Everything!
COL: How important is the ability to expose your art to you and your creative field?
JT: I guess I’m wising up…because it used to never be that important. I just wanted to make stuff. Experience stuff. But as I get older (wiser), I recognize that exposure is what gets me more opportunity.
