spotlight
Dialogue on Introspection: tara atefi
by Jamie Margary
Working from A Place Studios, a relatively quiet space located in the
middle of the inorganic madness of Colonial and Mills, 25-year-old
artist Tara Atefi engages a process in stark contrast to the environment
beyond the walls around her. When we visited to discuss her art, we
found Atefi surrounded by her work. She experiments on what she
calls her “process painting” while simultaneously working on another,
creating a sense of consistency in her technique. “I learn a little bit
more with every painting, and when I do, I incorporate that skill to
the rest of the paintings.”
An Orlando resident since 2010, Atefi ’s work is largely affected by her
travel experience, her memories, and infl uential people. “I got to meet
a lot of people who infl uenced me in the Orlando punk/DIY scene
a few years back, and they were the ones who modeled for me and
supported me to challenge my skills. Traveling allows me to be away
from my comfort zone and focus on fi nding little things that interest
me for compositions. Traveling with infl uential people, however, was
a lot to take in artistically, because there is such a big world out there
and it takes a while to understand how to feel relevant. It’s over-
whelming, but I still end up learning a lot from it and am motivated
by the experience.”
One of those infl uential people is her fi rst painting professor, artist
Rima Jabbur (featured in ARTBORNE Volume 2, Issue 2), from whom
she learned how to paint from life, about the handling of paint, the pro-
cess of critiquing, and who introduced her to artists she now considers
her favorites. Atefi also studied with Odd Nerdrum at The Nerdrum
School, learning about process, philosophy, and what she describes as
a “kitsch” way of painting from life. “When I paint, I can hear their
voices behind me, reminding me of their lessons.”
Tampon Nuns in Grief, oil on wood
way she connected and expressed herself towards others. “I had a
diffi cult time socializing and communicating with my peers in school
since I barely knew the language, so I often spent time doodling scenes
from movies and music videos I enjoyed. The kids started taking in-
terest in my little crayon doodles, and that’s how I made friends in
America. I started creating art as a means of communicating with my-
self when I had a hard time socializing with the people around me.”
Born in Los Angeles, Atefi grew up in Tehran, Iran until her family’s
return to the United States at the age of six. The transition shaped the In discussing her use of art to address discomfort, Atefi mentioned
a period where her illustrations frequently featured babies. “I used
to obsess over things that made me uncomfortable, similar to those
Self Portrait at the Nerdrum School, acrylic, oil on linen
moments where you think to yourself, Wow, I wish I never saw that,
and crying babies really did that for me.” Her piece Urine My Heart
is based on her unintentional witnessing of two people attempting
to discreetly urinate outside a show in Brooklyn, costing them a $50
ticket once a police offi cer had discovered them. “It was a moment I
felt I shouldn’t have seen, but it inspired me.”
Atefi usually keeps her subject matter close to her personal experienc-
es and the people around her, which may explain earlier diffi culties in
letting go of her work. “I tend to refl ect back onto the connections I’ve
created with my subjects. I think the idea of being able to paint that piece
again is comforting and allowed me to not hold so much attachment.”
Ultimately, Tara Atefi ’s art appears to be a blend of introspection and
conversation. “My paintings are more so my own communication
with myself or my subject. When people are looking at my pieces, it is
as if they are eavesdropping.”
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