Artist Interview: Tam Tran

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Jasmine Fernandez: This is Jasmine Fernandez at the National Portrait Gallery with Tam Tran and

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I am going to ask the first question which is to describe your philosophy on art.

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Tam Tran: Well, my phil-philosophy on art is just, you know, have fun.

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Be creative, um, no matter how big or small the ideal-idea is, just go-just go with it

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like even if you have an inkling of an idea that little idea can become something more if you just kind of work on it. If it doesn't work that's fine,

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you know, just continue to be creative, always, and just continue to make art and that-that's kind of like my philosophy. I don't--

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I don't, you know, I don't just stop and give up- if it fails it fails. That's kind of how I see things too.

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Jasmine Fernandez: That's nice. Um, could you tell me what does Asian-American mean to you?

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Tam Tran: Sometimes I would forget that I am Vietnamese, but that doesn't mean that I am more so American,

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or less Vietnamese, and vice versa. It's just not something I often think about.

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It-It's more of the outsiders kind of remind me of who I am sometimes;

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like I just, be about and just be myself and they would stop me and be like, you know,

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say something in Chinese or something like that, you know? Like um, so I was like-

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Tam Tran: for-for th-[that] for that second I realize okay I-I guess I am kind of different out-out, with my outward appearance, or whatever.

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Um, but um, you know I-I don't like to put myself in just like, a little, I don't like to give myself a title of anything. Especially

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[[Cross talk]] Boxes [[/Cross talk]] Yeah no boxes to conform in. So I just like to live my life, kind of,

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with m-my multi-lingual, and kind of multi-national. So that's -- that's how I see myself.

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Jasmine Fernandez: Um, so what are the classic stories, jokes, or songs in your family that you can share with us?

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Tam Tran: I can't really recall any songs; so, I don't have to sing thank goodness.

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Stories, not so much but I do remember when I first came to America and, um,

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and I was introduced to go, you know, into school

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and uh it's around th-the time, it was kind of cold and my mom sh-she bought-she purchased me this

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snow suit and I'm living in the South, you know, it's not that cold. So I'm stuffed in this snow suit,

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and she didn't know, that you know, of course you have to take it of when you go to school. So she just put me in underwear and that's it.

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And in that little snowsuit--send me to school, and I was embarrassed the whole time because you know like my teachers were like

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"it's really hot take it off, Tam." I was like, "I don't want to." I was like, just take it off-

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so they thought something was wrong with me, they sent me to the counselors, and, they're like, "please just take it off."

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I-I-I was crying I couldn't do it and then one of the ESL teachers, I mean I was speaking English at that time too,

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but you know um, they were like really coaxing me into-to just take it off, it's okay

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we're not going to judge you or do anything so I finally like-okay fine you can see-just see that I'm

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Tam Tran: It's-it's-it's kind of like, it's stuck with me and I always tell my mom like, why did you do that to me? *laughs* What? *laughs*
Jasmine Fernandez: *laughs* Did she, uh, answer, uh
Tam Tran: Yeah she just laughed, like I didn't even know my sister was-was just have a blast about that story. This is very second hand embarrassment for me and I am still thinking about it to this day, really. *laughs*
Jasmine Fernandez: *laughs* Now you share it on this recording.
Tam Tran: *laughs* I know- oh no.
Jasmine Fernandez: Um so, how did you get started with photography?
Tam Tran: Um...
Jasmine Fernandez:

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Like how did you get that started as your art form?
Tam Tran: I-I-I was the photographer of the-in the family I just kind of took over the camera, and I just played with it and I just really like how-how well I can manipulate it to-to my liking, too. And it-it's like my third eye, almost, and I really, I really love that. And I can see more...of my surroundings with it. I notice things more when I have my camera with me or if I don't I would say, "oh that-that would makes-that would make a really nice picture." Um, so I often have-have like, I guess, have like, uh, I don't know how to explain this but, you know, I just always see something, I always compose something in my-in my head. Like my eyes, if, I could turn them into lenses I would.
Jasmine Fernandez: You would just take a mental picture and print it out and-
Tam Tran: I know, yeah, yeah.
Jasmine Fernandez:

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So, uh, how did you decide that you would be in these photographs for this, um, exhibit?
Tam Tran:

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Um, it's-to be honest it was-it was convenient for me at the time. Um, I think it's best to, I could ask friends but of course if I have to explain them how I feel, can you evoke this emotion? They probably can-they probably have an idea of how I feel but of course, you know they would probably think differently, so it's not going to be exact as how I would see it so I figured, let me direct myself, you-you know through my own thoughts.
Jasmine Fernandez: Mhm.
Tam Tran:

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So it's-it's best. When it comes to self-portrait picture anyways.
Jasmine Fernandez: And, um, how long did it take in order

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Tam Tran: Um it really depends sometimes in matter-in a matter of like, like a-an hour, or a couple of days to really get it to-to work

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Tam Tran: but it-it's doesn't really for me it just kinda, clicks.

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Jasmine Fernandez: Mhm.
Tam Tran: You know.
Jasmine Fernandez: Um, could you explain the series a little bit more because it's not

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just simple, you know, pictures of yourself they're evoking like certain emotions that you want

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the audience to see. So, what is the-the theme in this?

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Tam Tran: The theme is just, like, I-I see myself all of these people.

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Jasmine Fernandez: Mhm.
Tam Tran: Um, I'm just-I'm not one person, I-I take-sometimes I feel like I take on roles almost, um, when I come home from, from you know,

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my outside world like I become like you know a child to my mom again and I have to do these things that would please her or you know *sigh* and then

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when I leave it's my own self, my own thoughts I do wh-you know like I don't have to just make

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everyone else happy just myself. I-these, these little images are just reflections of my thought almost during that day, or night, or something I went through.

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Um, it kind of-these images reflect that.

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Jasmine Fernandez: Mhm.
Tam Tran: So, um, it's almost like a little essay-journal entry of sort, in a way so.

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Jasmine Fernandez: Um, I know that during the tour your um-describing the cord that's
Tam Tran: yeah.
Jasmine Fernandez: in the um photo. Can you

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describe that again for the listeners?
Tam Tran: Sure. Um, the cord is just like an et-an extension of myself

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to my view-viewers, um, to show them, you know, like we're connected
Jasmine Fernandez: Mhm.

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Tam Tran: this-it-when you look at these images it might-to you-maybe to you you look at uh I don't feel very connected to this image but

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to another person it could be like oh I feel this way I-I know what-what she is and that cord it's-it kind of represents you know like

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an understanding of sort that I feel you on this-this emotion that I am sharing with you

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Tam Tran: It's like a feedback kind of thing. Um, just kind of like bringing them in reeling them in almost, so...

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Jasmine Fernandez: And, your audience- are you, trying to target this message to Asian Americans, or Americans, or is it people in general, like what is the

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Tam Tran: Uh, not necessarily any race, it's just--it's to anybody

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Jasmine Fernandez: Um-hm
Tam Tran: Umm, everyone thinks differently, so when they see it, no matter what your race is I'm sure they can pick up on... certain little aspects that probably speak to them.

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I don't really like to, you know, just make it about being an Asian woman or anything. Just about being a woman, and just all these faces sometimes we have to put on or carry on.

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Jasmine Fernandez: And how does it feel to be in this exhibit? For the portrait. Now, Asian-Americans-- how does it feel for you as you are saying, as an Asian woman, as an American as...

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Tam Tran: I feel great. It brings--gives me a voice to speak and a face to this portrait or now project.

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Yeah I'm very grateful for being part of it. It's, it's great, I love it.