tom chambers
EX VOTO
During a trip to Mexico I was intrigued by small traditional paintings called ex votos. Ex votos are Mexican folk art paintings often created on tin, copper or wood. They illustrate an occasion when in response to a prayer for help or guidance, the prayer was answered or a miracle occurred. These miracle paintings honor the power and mercy of the saints. Ex voto subjects range from common daily occurrences to truly dramatic events. All ex votos contain a picture of the miracle, an image of the saint to whom the ex voto is dedicated, and a brief description of the miracle.
Through digital photography I have taken a different approach to the ex voto art form. Normally photography is a method of documentation or a means of recording specific physical moments in time. My work is not used to document, but to illustrate photographically the fleeting moods that can’t be captured by a traditional camera or seen by the naked eye. With my illustrations, I create ex votos that also honor a deity – the one for imagination.
