Save The Date and Preview: “Revisiting Humanity: Secrets and Lifetimes” Solo Exhibition by Tami Baha

Opening on January 6th, 2018, Los Angeles photographer Tami Bahat will present her first solo exhibition titled “Revisiting Humanity: Secrets and Lifetimes” in Los Angeles at Building Bridges Art Exchange in Bergamot Station. The show curated by Marisa Caichiolo will feature new work from her ongoing series Dramatis Personae.

Sometimes an artist comes along and you feel they must be the reincarnation of a renowned historic master, or perhaps a student of theirs at the very least. In the case of multiple award-winning artist Tami Bahat, she is certainly channeling an old master painter, possibly Rembrandt or Vermeer, in her signature style of carefully composed photographs. Her work is unmistakable, created in the Renaissance style of portrait composition, selective prop usage, and dramatic Rembrandt –style lighting, a technique sometimes used in studio portraits, but rarely done so well. Creating complex arranged sets often incorporating animals, Bahat’s portraits are lush and inspired tableaux vignettes that mimic the grandeur and serious posture of historic period pieces.

Although inspired by those stark and serious portraits of the past, Bahat infuses that old-world charm with her own witty, modern twist. Using family and friends as models gives her work a more personal tone, as she creates stories supplemented by unusual props and the addition of animals, including exotic birds, an enormous snake, and once, a baboon that grabbed a paintbrush and headed for an easel (hence the need for professional animal handlers!) Her elaborate period costumes and antique accouterments come from a variety of places, including estate sales and flea markets, auctions, and an opera house.