© Katie Tackman, *LA Dodge*, Photo Lightbox, 8 x 8 inches, 2019

September 20, 2023

Amie Potsic interviews photographer and master printer Katie Tackman about her artwork, printing business, and running the 20/20 Photo Festival in Philadelphia!

Katie Tackman is an artist, photographer, and fine art printer living and working in Philadelphia, PA. She was raised in Connecticut where her love of sailing, nature, and photography grew. Tackman graduated from Drexel University with a Bachelor of Science degree in Photography. After graduating, she worked at Silicon Fine Art Printing for over 5 years where she joined a strong community of artists in Philadelphia. She now runs her own business; KT Butterfield Photo + Print, which focuses on photo editing and fine art printing projects for artists. As a founding member of Gravy Studio + Gallery, she is the studio manager and co-curator of the photography exhibits.

Artist Statement
The work I have submitted to the Chroma open call comes from two different series which I have been working on for the last five years simultaneously, but all have a similar sense of nostalgia and color which have become part of my photographic style.

The first series is of cars from Philadelphia and Los Angeles. We remember years gone by with the make and model of a car; Americana at its best. I remember sounds of my Dad building his race car at all hours of the night getting ready for a race. Whether I am searching for cars in the city, going to car shows such as the Race of Gentlemen at the New Jersey shore, or going across the country to hunt for them; I aim to have the same feeling of nostalgia through the color, texture, and composition of my photographs. These are displayed as a series of light boxes to replicate the way I see them bathed in beautiful light.

The second series is of Philadelphia area signage which become my abstract reminders of the years I have spent here and how the city has shaped my photography. I find nooks of color in the chaos of gentrification in my own neighborhood of Fishtown where artists once created spaces that reflected its weird and quirky lifestyles. Seems to be fading away as the historic buildings, artists warehouses, and studios are being pushed out by development.

“Waking up to fog rolling across the hills of a racetrack surrounded by a lush forest after a night of camping. Sounds of my Dad building his race car at all hours of the night getting ready for a race. People have a special nostalgic connections to cars. We remember years gone by with the make and model; Americana at its best. For me, cars and motorcycles represent a sense of freedom. The ability to go on roadtrips, to see the country, explore mountains, beaches, deserts. These things are essential to a photographer. ‘The Vintage Car Show’ is a collection of photos blending new colorful landscapes with vintage cars and motorcycles.”

— Katie Tackman

© Katie Tackman, *Lost in Fortescue*, Archival Pigment Print, 8 x 10 inches, 2019

© Katie Tackman, *Suds n Such*, Photo Lightbox, 8 x 10 inches, 2016

Click here to visit Katie Tackman’s website.

Banner Image: Katie Tackman at The Wiota Street Garden, 20/20 Photo Festival, 2022 © Amie Potsic 2022