Alright – so today we’ve got the honor of introducing you to Tiff Sutton. We think you’ll enjoy our conversation, we’ve shared it below.

Tiff , looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

I started plotting my raise as a well-renowned photographer when I was 15. I really fell hard in love with the camera, the quiet in the darkroom, and the thrill of seeing the print emerge in the developing tray. It has been a long journey and I have thought about quitting, but I never stopped thinking about creating images or about the legacy I wanted to leave behind. Slowly, I began getting recognition as a portrait photographer in St.Louis. I was an In The City: Commonwealth Harvard Fellow in 2020, I was awarded my first grant in 2019 and I won other grants in 2020. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t give up. All I had to do is create, learn new techniques, work on my craft and be patient for the time for me to share my work with the world. I’m inspired by photographers LaToya Ruby Fraizer and Carrie Mae Weems, however, neither works with multiple or even double exposures. I just admire the topics they cover with their work.

Tiff , love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I create portraits of Black women that begin as figurative and turn into an abstract

It took 15 years to find my photographic voice. I tried so many different types of photography; still life, landscape, commercial. Only recently have I listened to my heart and started shooting portraits. 2020 was the first year I began concentrating on photographing Black women and returned to shooting multiple exposures.

I moved to shoot exclusively Black women because I am committed to creating artwork with Black bodies. I want girls who go to Art Museums to see a variety of women on the walls. Women that look like them, women that look different, and women who aren’t all nude. It’s about culturally diverse and I want to contribute to making that happen.

I think about photography all the time. I’m reading essays and books about Black photographers in the early 1900s. Currently, I’m reading Tina Campt’s book Image Matters: Archive, Photography, and the African Diaspora in Europe. I traveled to Iceland this summer and I hope to travel to other European countries to explore the African culture.

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Looking back, are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?

I wish I knew about artist grants earlier in my journey. I would have applied to any I found that focused on photography. An artist compiled a list of grants and residences and I try to share it with every artist I meet. I think that what is great about artist, we try to share information, because if one of us makes it big we can help the next one.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

I hope to win the Guggenheim grant in the next three years. Of course, I’ll apply to other grants but all of my favorite photographers have won the prize and I’d be honored to be among them.

Contact Info:

• Website: www.tiffjtiffsutton.com
• Instagram: @tiffanyjoy1955

Image Credits
All photos are by Tiff j Sutton.