Tom Chambers

I was raised on a farm in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, a religiously conservative part of the country and home for many Amish and Mennonite farmers. Unlike others in my community, my family had a liberal view on things and many of my family members were artists. At age 18 I joined the Navy out of a desire to leave Lancaster, and was immediately sent to Vietnam. Three more years in the Navy took me to 22 different countries. After my military discharge I spent five years hitchhiking around the U.S. and Canada, as well as working the family farm with my four brothers. Later I graduated from The Ringling School of Art and Design In Florida and eventually moved to Virginia, where I found work as a graphic designer. I began experimenting with my photography using the computer equipment in my office. For the past fifteen years I have been making photomontages, using photos I have taken during travels in the U.S., Canada and Mexico. At this point in my life my influences are as diverse as my background. Mexican Indian religious art, which conveys a sense of mystery and spiritual happening, has strongly influenced my work. The imagery in my photography reflects the other worldly energy found in Mexican art.