Tema Stauffer is a photographer whose work examines the social, economic, and cultural landscape of American spaces. Her work has been exhibited at Sasha Wolf Gallery, Daniel Cooney Fine Art Gallery, and Jen Bekman Gallery in New York, as well as galleries and institutions nationally and internationally including a survey of Contemporary U.S. Photography at the Houston Fotofest 2010 Biennial. She is an Associate Professor of Photography at East Tennessee State University and has previously taught at Concordia University in Montreal, Ramapo College of New Jersey, College of Staten Island, School at ICP, William Paterson University, and Toxico Cultura in Mexico City. She was awarded an AOL 25 for 25 Grant for innovation in the arts in 2010 for her combined work as an artist, curator, and writer. She has contributed articles to PDNedu, American Photo Magazine, Ciel variable, Culturehall, and other publications. She has published two monographs, UPSTATE (2018) and SOUTHERN FICTION (2022) with Daylight Books.
Exhibition on view August 21 - October 6
Reception with the Artist | September 7, 5:30-7PM
Artist in Converstaion with Leslie Walker Bickford, Associate Professor of English | September 21, 6PM
Tema Stauffer’s Southern Fiction traces the literary landscape of the American South investigating sites that were formative to canonical fiction writers of the region such as William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Harper Lee, Truman Capote, Alice Walker and Flannery O’Conner, among others. Large-format color photographs depict the domestic settings, vernacular architecture, and rural landscapes significant to the history of these iconic writers. Through this series, Stauffer explores the beauty, mystery and complexity of the South. She is currently an Associate Professor of Photography at East Tennessee State University. Her work has been exhibited at Sasha Wolf, Daniel Cooney Fine Art, and Jen Bekman galleries in New York, as well as galleries and institutions internationally.
Exhibition dates: March 10 - April 13, 2023
Tema Stauffer In Conversation with Lauren Rhoades
Friday, March 31 | 6pm
Bragg 103
"Southern Fiction explores the history of the American South using its literary tradition as a road map, focusing on environments which have shaped the imaginations of 20th-century Southern writers during their formative years or throughout the course of their lives and careers. The images portray domestic settings, vernacular architecture, and rural landscapes that visually resonate with the history, culture, and atmosphere of the Deep South. From 2018 - 2021, she made road trips to Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi to shoot large-format color photographs of settings associated with writers such as Flannery O’Connor, Alice Walker, Truman Capote, Harper Lee, William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Tennessee Williams, and Richard Wright. The series depicts the former homes of some of these writers, sites that were relevant to their backgrounds and literary works, and the surrounding architecture and landscapes that shaped their fiction. By examining the roots of its greatest writers, the series investigates the richness and complexity of the South through the evocative settings that defined their experiences and voices."
Lauren Rhoades talks with Tema Stauffer, a photographer whose work examines the social, economic, and cultural landscapes of American spaces. Tema's new series of photographs, SOUTHERN FICTION, explores the settings that shaped the literary imaginations of 20th-century Southern writers, including Eudora Welty, William Faulkner, and Richard Wright. A monograph of SOUTHERN FICTION will be released by Daylight Books this month.
To celebrate the book release of Stauffer's new book, "Southern Fiction," the Eudora Welty House & Garden in Jackson, Mississippi is hosting a conversation between Stauffer and Rhoades on the Welty lawn, followed by a book sale and signing.
SOUTHERN FICTION explores the history of the American South using its literary tradition as a road map by focusing on environments that have shaped the imaginations of 20th-century Southern writers. These large-format color photographs depict domestic settings, vernacular architecture, and rural landscapes that visually resonate with the history, culture, and atmosphere of the Deep South. The images capture a fascination with the beauty, mystery, and layered complexity of the South. The book includes essays by contemporary writers Casey Cep, Lauren Rhoades, and Honorée Fanonne Jeffers.
Four prints from Tema Stauffer's series Southern Fiction are included in the exhibition Imaginary Landscapes: Stories from the American South on view in the Bunzl Gallery at the Bascom in Highland, NC from May 17 – August 27. Guest curated by Kate Anderson, the exhibition features narrative works by contemporary artists that attempt to capture the myriad stories of the South. Also included are works from the Johnson Collection and the Collection of the Black Mountain College Museum.
Public Reception: Thursday, June 16, 5pm
Tema Stauffer's Fruit Stand, Milledgeville Road, Georgia from the series Southern Fiction is included in this feature on author Honorée Fanonne Jeffers.
The Real Places That Gave Rise to Southern Fictions: Tema Stauffer’s photographs explore how the experience of going somewhere is shaped by your expectations of what you will find.
By Casey Cep
"Tema Stauffer provides the photos and leaves the narrative to her viewers," by Matt Peiken.
Diner, Elizaville, New York, 2017 included in the Harper's Magazine Monday Gallery.
Book Review on Tema Stauffer's Upstate
Book Review
Review of Temma Stauffer's upstate series of work
