Nate Larson

Larson received a B.A. degree in Photography and Visual Communication Design in 2000 from Purdue University. He then attended The Ohio State University, receiving an M.F.A. degree in Photography in 2002. He later took additional graduate coursework at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Art History, Theory, & Criticism. He also took workshops in bookmaking at the Center for Book and Paper Arts at Columbia College Chicago.

Larson's early work dealt with evangelical American religious traditions and explored the belief systems behind religious miracles and the manner in which they were shared on the internet. His 2006 exhibition, "Charlatans and Tricksters" at Real Art Ways, consisted of a series of narrative-based quasi-documentary black-and-white photographs of the "supernormal." More accurately, they were forgeries of so-called paranormal events. Much of photography's credibility as a popular art form relies on its promise of visual truth, embodied in the axiom that the camera never lies. Seeing, you might say, is believing. But the camera does lie, and frequently, and it is from this starting point that Larson begins to craft his elaborate photographic fictions. His images, radically, work a tension between a desire to believe and the skeptical rational mind.{{Cite news|last=Genocchio|first=Benjamin|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2006/01/01/nyregion/art-review-when-pictures-lie-and-we-gladly-believe.html|title=ART REVIEW; When Pictures Lie, And We Gladly Believe|date=2006-01-01|work=The New York Times|access-date=2020-03-26|language=en-US|issn=0362-4331}}

He has worked collaboratively with Marni Shindelman since 2007 as the collective Larson Shindelman. Their most well-known collaborative project is Geolocation, which tracks and photographs embedded coordinates in Twitter posts. The two artists see themselves as archivists and their project as a homage to the Twitter users whose posts they use. The statements are pithy — as they must be on Twitter — but often evocative, moving, even wise. Paired alongside the images, each one becomes poetic.{{Cite web|url=https://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/anonymous-tributes-to-anonymous-people/|title=Anonymous Tributes to Anonymous People|last=MacDonald|first=Kerri|date=2012-01-06|website=Lens Blog|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-25}} The project includes both gallery and public art components, including a set of billboards for the 2012 Atlanta Celebrates Photography Public Art Commission.{{Cite web|url=https://acpinfo.org/programs/public_art_2012.html|title=Atlanta Celebrates Photography - Public Art|last=|first=|website=acpinfo.org|language=en|access-date=2020-03-25}} A site-specific chapter of the project was exhibited in the solo exhibition #LarsonShindelman #Mobilize at the George Eastman Museum in 2019 in Rochester, New York.{{Cite web|url=https://www.eastman.org/larsonshindelman-mobilize|title=#LarsonShindelman #Mobilize {{!}} George Eastman Museum|website=www.eastman.org|language=en|access-date=2020-03-25}} Geolocation{{Cite web|title=Nate Larson and Marni Shindelman {{!}} State of The Art|url=https://stateoftheart.crystalbridges.org/blog/project/nate-larson-marni-shindelman/|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-20}} was included in the 2014 State of the Art exhibition at Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art, an exhibition survey that drew from every region of the US, offering an unusually diverse look at American art.{{Cite web|title=State of The Art|url=https://stateoftheart.crystalbridges.org/|language=en-US|access-date=2020-05-20}}

In 2015, Larson made portraits of Baltimore residents during the uprising in the aftermath of the death of Freddie Gray.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cnn.com/2015/04/29/us/gallery/baltimore-portraits-nate-larson/index.html|title='Holding that line': Portraits from Baltimore|first= Josh |last=Levs|website=CNN|access-date=2020-03-25}} One of his photographs from this project was used in the video #APeoplesJourney - A Nation's StoryArchived at [https://ghostarchive.org/varchive/youtube/20211208/wUuSYpW4ZIo Ghostarchive]{{cbignore}} and the [https://web.archive.org/web/20171001184451/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUuSYpW4ZIo&gl=US&hl=en Wayback Machine]{{cbignore}}: {{cite AV media| url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wUuSYpW4ZIo| title = #APeoplesJourney - A Nation's Story | website=YouTube}}{{cbignore}} at the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture in 2017. He has continued to work in long-term community partnerships at Jubilee Arts{{Cite web|url=http://school33.org/index.cfm?page=exhibits§ion=Upcoming&exhibitID=110|title=School 33 Art Center|website=school33.org|access-date=2020-03-25}} in West Baltimore and Commodore John Rogers in East Baltimore.

Since 2014,{{Cite web|url=https://bmoreart.com/2018/07/sondheim-shrinkage.html|title=Sondheim Shrinkage|date=2018-07-09|website=BmoreArt|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-26}} he has worked on Centroid Towns, an anthology of stories connecting the cities that have been the mean center of the United States population. Since the first US census in 1790, the United States Census Bureau has recorded the mean center of population as it moves steadily west and south.{{Cite web|url=https://www.census.gov/geographies/reference-files/time-series/geo/centers-population.html|title=Centers of Population|publisher=United States Census Bureau|website=The United States Census Bureau|language=EN-US|access-date=2020-03-25}} The first recorded was near Chestertown, Maryland, and the projected centroid of the 2020 census is Hartville, Missouri. Larson has done preliminary research in all 25 towns and completed five chapters of the project with communities in Ellicott City, Maryland;{{Cite web|url=https://www.baltimoresun.com/citypaper/bcpnews-contact-sheet-after-the-flood-20160804-photogallery.html|title=Contact Sheet: After the Flood|website=baltimoresun.com|access-date=2020-03-25}} Bloomington, Indiana; Mascoutah, Illinois; and De Soto, Missouri.{{Cite web|url=https://www.kbia.org/post/monday-photographer-nate-larson-discusses-centroid-towns-residency-north-st-louis-county|title=Photographer documents towns at mean center of US population, including those in Missouri, Illinois|last=Moffitt|first=Kelly|website=www.kbia.org|date=26 June 2017|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}} For a 2019 solo exhibition at GRACE, Larson dove deeper into the community of Waterford, Virginia, Centroid Town of 1810.{{Cite web|url=https://restonarts.org/exhibition/nate-larson/|title=Centroid Towns: Like a Passing Shadow|website=Greater Reston Arts Center|language=en|access-date=2020-03-25}} With these recent photographs, Larson has dedicated himself to a social documentary framework in which to explore a fascinating swath of America and demonstrate how exploring archives and locations allow photography to become a witness and participant in the discursive understanding of our world.{{Cite web|url=http://lenscratch.com/2017/04/nate-larson-the-states-project-maryland/|title=Nate Larson: The States Project: Maryland|date=2017-04-01|website=LENSCRATCH|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-26}}

He has taught at Maryland Institute College of Art (MICA) since 2009.{{Cite web|url=https://www.mica.edu/undergraduate-majors-minors/photography-major/nate-larson/|title=Nate Larson|website=MICA|language=en|access-date=2020-03-25}} He was a board member of the Society for Photographic Education from 2010 to 2014{{Cite web|url=http://www.spenational.org/|title=Leadership History|website=www.spenational.org|access-date=2020-03-25}} and chaired the 2014 National Conference.{{Cite web|url=http://www.spenational.org/|title=Overview|website=www.spenational.org|access-date=2020-03-25}}

High Museum of Art{{Cite web|url=https://high.org/collections/geolocation-worth-the-wait/|title=Geolocation: Worth the Wait|website=High Museum of Art|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-26}}{{Cite web|url=https://high.org/collections/geolocation-tell-me-not-twitter/|title=Geolocation: Tell Me Not Twitter|website=High Museum of Art|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-26}}{{Cite web|url=https://high.org/collections/geolocation-gun-shot/|title=Geolocation: Gun Shot|website=High Museum of Art|language=en-US|access-date=2020-03-26}}

Portland Art Museum{{Cite web|url=http://www.portlandartmuseum.us/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=65035;type=101|title=Geolocation: Lost Followers Today|website=www.portlandartmuseum.us|access-date=2020-03-26}}{{Cite web|url=http://www.portlandartmuseum.us/mwebcgi/mweb.exe?request=record;id=65059;type=101|title=Geolocation: So Used to Ecommerce|website=www.portlandartmuseum.us|access-date=2020-03-26}}

Museum of Contemporary Photography{{Cite web|url=https://www.mocp.org/info.php?f=maker&type=browse&t=objects&s=Larson,+Nate|title=Museum of Contemporary Photography|website=www.mocp.org|access-date=2020-03-26}}

Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art{{Cite web|url=https://collection.crystalbridges.org/objects/4910/Have%20My%20Location;jsessionid=E52698CB14428EE410947C101F5757A6|title=Have My Location – Works – Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}{{Cite web|url=https://collection.crystalbridges.org/objects/4914/More%20Profound;jsessionid=AD0A1096F19CF1754E9D39A40A93A512|title=More Profound – Works – Crystal Bridges Museum of American Art|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}

Museum of Fine Arts, Houston{{Cite web|url=https://emuseum.mfah.org/objects/106296/geolocation-days-like-today|title=Nate Larson Geolocation (Days Like Today)|last=|first=|date=|website=Museum of Fine Arts, Houston|access-date=2020-03-26}}

Orlando Museum of Art

George Eastman Museum

Center for Photography at Woodstock{{Cite web|url=https://www.cpw.org/about/print-collection/search-collection/|title=Search Collection|website=www.cpw.org|access-date=2020-03-26}}

Albin O. Kuhn Library, University of Maryland Baltimore County {{Cite web|url=https://umbc.pastperfectonline.com/photo/922BEC10-27CC-4B1F-A9CC-425084015156|title=#5WordMoneyProblems: Reverse Mortgage, 2015|last=|first=|date=|website=UMBC|access-date=2020-03-26}}

David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library, Duke University{{Cite web|url=https://library.duke.edu/rubenstein/findingaids/larsonnate/|title=Guide to the Nate Larson Photographs, 2015|website=David M. Rubenstein Rare Book & Manuscript Library|language=en|access-date=2020-03-26}}

Contemporary Art Purchasing Program, University of Maryland, College Park{{Cite web|url=https://contemporaryartumd.artinterp.org/omeka/items/show/72|title=Geolocation (College Park) · Contemporary Art Purchasing Program - Stamp Gallery|website=contemporaryartumd.artinterp.org|access-date=2020-03-26}}

Light Work{{Cite web|url=https://collection.lightwork.org/Detail/artworks/2012.469|title=Light Work Collection / Artwork / How to Keep a Relationship with Me: Make Sure I'm Happy [3745]|website=collection.lightwork.org|access-date=2020-03-26}}

{{Reflist}}

• [https://www.kbia.org/post/monday-photographer-nate-larson-discusses-centroid-towns-residency-north-st-louis-county#stream/0 St. Louis Public Radio]
• [https://slate.com/culture/2016/04/nate-larson-and-marni-shindelman-follow-the-gps-information-embedded-in-tweets-in-their-series-geolocation.html Slate]
• [https://placesjournal.org/article/material-world/ Places Magazine]
• [https://www.wired.com/rawfile/2013/01/returning-to-the-scene-of-the-tweet/ Wired Raw File]
• [http://lens.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/01/06/anonymous-tributes-to-anonymous-people/ The New York Times Lens Blog]
• [https://gizmodo.com/5976009/knowing-the-real-life-location-of-these-tweets-makes-you-feel-dirty Gizmodo]
• [https://www.npr.org/blogs/pictureshow/2012/11/28/166112177/i-know-where-you-tweeted-last-summer The Picture Show from NPR]
• [http://hyperallergic.com/63666/locating-tweets-irl/ Hyperallergic]
• [https://www.vice.com/en/article/marni-and-nate-are-in-your-hood-photographing-your-tweets/ Vice Magazine]
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20150505104132/http://www.washingtonpost.com/gog/exhibits/geolocation-nate-larson-and-marni-shindelman,1217566.html The Washington Post]
• [http://indianapublicmedia.org/arts/planet-earth-restoring-humanity-twitterverse/ Indiana Public Media]
• [http://www.lasvegassun.com/vegasdeluxe/2011/jan/06/twitter-art/ Las Vegas Sun]
• [http://www.lightwork.org/archive/nate-larson-and-marni-shindelman/ Light Work]
• [http://www.blueskygallery.org/exhibition/nate-larson-marni-shindelman/#1 Blue Sky Gallery]
• [http://collectdotgive.org/editions/nate-larson-and-marni-shindelman/ Collect.Give]
• [http://design.latech.edu/galleries/past-exhibitions/nov-1-dec-13-2011/ Louisiana Tech University]
• [https://www.theverge.com/2013/1/9/3855250/artists-photograph-the-location-of-tweets-in-geolocation The Verge]
• [https://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9E05E7D91030F932A35752C0A9609C8B63 The New York Times]
• [http://www.mocp.org/collections/mpp/larson_nate.php Museum of Contemporary Photography]
• [http://www.gettysburg.edu/about/offices/provost/gallery/seeing_essay.dot Seeing Is Believing at Gettysburg College]

• [https://www.natelarson.com/ Artist Website]
• [http://www.larson-shindelman.com/ Larson Shindelman Collaborative Website]

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Category:1978 births

Category:Living people

Category:Baltimore

Category:American photographers