Tara McPherson

Tara McPherson (born 1976 in San Francisco) is an American painter and illustrator.

Career

Tara McPherson was born in San Francisco in 1976 and grew up in Los Angeles. During her college years, she completed an internship at the Rough Draft Studios and worked here esp. on the animated series Futurama by Matt Groening. She then studied at the Art Center in Pasadena and graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Illustration with honors.

After completing her studies, she moved to New York City and began working as a freelance artist. There she began, concert posters for the Knitting Factory and alternative bands from the area, such as Built to Spill, Death Cab for Cutie and Queens of the Stone Age; later to also design for Duran Duran and Depeche Mode. Her artistic work includes in addition to posters and paintings, toys and comics.

Her style is heavily influenced by comics; in her paintings can be seen frequently small children in animal costumes, heart and people in imaginative environments, but also tentacles, blood, vampires and devils. A frequently recurring motif is a heart-shaped gaping, bloody hole in the chest of the people pictured as a symbol of broken hearts. She is a regular participant in the annual Flatstock Poster Convention and has lectured and Others at the University of Arizona and at the American Institute of Graphic Arts. In addition to her artistic work, she also plays bass in a band.