Bio & Statement
Artist Biography
Nathaniel Coalson is a visual artist working in fine art photography and mixed media. Born in Laramie, Wyoming in 1970 and an artist since early childhood, Nat was educated at Colorado Institute of Art and California Art Institute and began working professionally in the graphic arts in 1987. In addition to photography Nat has done graphic design and production in print, web and video. Nat’s work has been exhibited extensively, received national awards and is held in private and corporate collections.
Nat teaches photography and digital imaging and provides training and consulting for private and corporate clients. He is the owner of Coalson Editions, a fine art printing studio for photographers and artists. Nat is an Adobe Certified Expert in Photoshop and Photoshop Lightroom.
Nat currently lives and works in the mountains near Denver, Colorado. He is a world traveler, connoisseur of wine and aficionado of all things Italian.
Artist Statement
“I am seeking in life a self-actualized state where my thoughts and activities are consistent with my ideals. Being who I am meant to be and doing what I am meant to do. I have known since I was a kid that my purpose in life is to create pictures. The subjects of my photographs range from pristine natural landscapes to abstract close-ups of refuse. I make the photographs into straight prints and mixed media installations.
My images exploit the tension between chaos and order. In the complex real world, visual chaos is everywhere. Within the photographic frame order can be attained. Many of my photographs are a result of my seeking the calm amid the storm–peace, calm and stability are common themes in my work.
Making art is also a way for me to experience life more fully and with more intensity. To feel connected and vital, to investigate things, to explore the potential for discovery around every corner. Photography, for me, is all about curiosity; practicing it has made me wonder, inquire and seek out. I discover photographs as much as I create them. Even when I am shooting to a plan, I respond to what the situation provides. The rush of this interchange between myself and the world around me is intensely satisfying.
My love of photography is not an emotional outlet; it’s an addiction to intellectual stimulation–my mind’s response to visual input and the possibilities that arise spontaneously. The pictures I choose to make are a product of my "internal workflow": input, processing and output. Internal processing is what makes us each unique; I am fascinated with how the eye and brain work together in unpredictable ways when creating.
Working within the photographic frame has been more challenging and rewarding than I expected it would be when I was getting started. Now, even when I don’t have a camera with me, I constantly superimpose a rectangle around everything I look at. This alters and strengthens my connection with my reality. Photographic art is great freedom–choosing what to leave in and what to leave out. I believe with that freedom comes the responsibility to think about what’s being communicated with the work.
I'm generally not as interested in capturing a slice of time in my pictures as that I want to reveal a glimpse of eternity... of universal truths and undeniable constants. I am looking for answers. I want to understand the relationships that form my distinct place in this world and the nature of my role in the past, present and future. Through my art I have a stronger connection to things greater than I.
I’m very interested in photographic impressionism, minimalism and surrealism. My work has been influenced by classic photographers like Man Ray, yet more so by contemporaries including Tony Sweet, William Neill, John Paul Caponigro and Bryan F. Peterson. The philosophies of Galen Rowell and Freeman Patterson have had a profound impact on the way I view my art. Through study of the work of these visionaries, seeing through my eyes and seeing with my mind's eye have become distinctly different experiences for me.
Art is a reflection of a person’s reality… with 'filters' overlaid. My work shows reality from my point of view; it’s colorized by my opinions, attitudes, experiences and beliefs. My art is also my voice. This is me; this is what I have to say. And picture really does equal many words. My hope is that other people will understand what I’m saying with my work and find joy in the experience of seeing as I do.
Technical Notes
I shoot with Canon digital SLRs and process my images with Macs (primarily in Photoshop and Lightroom). Though I have unlimited freedom in the digital darkroom, my goal is always to create the photograph in the camera as much as possible. Most of my finished images are not heavily manipulated but of course there are exceptions.
I love to shoot outdoors using natural light; I rarely use artificial light. Shooting in the wilderness strengthens my connection with nature and gives peace to my soul. Shooting in urban environments is more stressful for me but is often where I create my best abstract work. I shoot around the house all the time, where I’m most relaxed. Some of my casual play with the camera forms the basis for bodies of work I develop in the outside world.
I make my own prints using and Epson Stylus Pro 9800 with Ultrachrome K3 inks; prints up to 44 by 400 inches. Some of my prints are on photographic paper, others on canvas, fabric, aluminum and other interesting substrates. Many of my abstracts are mixed media: digital images printed on canvas overpainted with acrylic."