NATE METZ - Art Blog » yellow

Damn Good Advice: SIXTEEN

natemetz — Wed, 07 May 2014 14:35:53 +0000

There is nothing very overt about the provocative nature of my photographs. Often, they are beautiful moments of color, line, form, and texture. I do find, though, as I continue to submit work and meet other artists and converse with gallery folk that my work isn’t Photography with a capital P. It’s unexpected in some ways because it’s not how most people would use a camera. For example, these tidal lines are rather unassuming perhaps, but I see a delicacy worthy of framing. But, no, you say, it’s pedestrian at best– lacks varying qualities of color, depth of field, and these five other technical aspects of a Photograph.

This is my brand, my photography. I’m not overly intricate or technical in my approach, although my perfectionism may ask me to lean that way at times. I challenge your classic and traditional view of photography, and that’s my style of provocation. I do not accept any established definition of what art should be. I own my expression fully. These prints are for sale because they are worth money and would look great hanging on your wall or even a 4×6 on your desk. If you already know me, then this diatribe is not news. If you’re new to Nate World, now you know!

Needless to say, I do already embrace this Damn Good Advice and follow it unconsciously. Being a cultural provocateur is an archetype repeated throughout many areas of my life. It isn’t easy and I don’t know that I would pick it out for myself if I had a deck to choose from because it is an ongoing challenge. It requires great strength and courage to think freely and remain centered so that I can continue to honor the pure place of my creativity. I’m glad seasoned creators like Lois can ask younger generations to continue to push boundaries and reinvent the art world.

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Delaware Scene – Nate Metz Solo Show

natemetz — Wed, 29 May 2013 23:54:36 +0000

I can hardly believe that it’s happing next week! My debut exhibit is finally about to happen. I think back on the number of hours I’ve spent with my camera and Photoshop and how long I didn’t do anything about it. I’m so grateful that my work is enjoyed by so many people! In preparation for the showing, I’ve gotten some press about the exhibit. Here is a nice write-up on Delaware Scene:

https://delawarescene.com/event.php?id=9523

It is free to attend opening night, June 7th from 6-8PM, so bring a friend and see the work up close!

The show consists of 25 street photographs and includes selections from my yellow study.

# art exhibit Delaware

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CHALLENGE: 5

natemetz — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 13:45:13 +0000

It was a much better way to start out the new year on the photo challenge front. The theme, 5, left me faced with several obvious choices: dice, watches/clocks, hands/feet/fingers/toes, money. I opted for a grouping because it lent more freedom creatively as to how 5 would show up. I was not having much luck finding five of anything in a natural setup without my physically placing 5 items together. Remember I’m not a huge fan of studio work and forcing a shot under controlled settings. In the last few days before the deadline I resigned to sit this round out because I wanted to submit a photograph that fits my aesthetic and my voice. After posting Linear Sunrise, I glanced back through all of my shots and realized that a different frame had five contrails. And as I reflected more on my audience I did tell a white lie and say I took the photograph Christmas Day instead of Christmas Eve because it fit the story better:

Santa’s sleigh left 5 contrails criss-crossing the sky on Christmas!

I received some nice, positive feedback that I had an unexpected approach and that the backstory information was fun. I know this photograph is a success because I managed to keep my point of view and add some fluff that would appeal to a specific audience that would help them to understand my work.

14th Place
Apple iPhone 4
1/539 sec, f2, ISO 80
Post-Processing– PS actions: crop, levels adjustment, hue shift +15, saturation +3, lightness +3, resize, USM, export

My constant comparison of my work to others in the challenges does appear to be unhealthy to you readers of that I am sure! It only appears that way because I’m not sure what else to talk about in these challenge entries. A huge part of the content for my art blog for a challenge entry is the competition, the judging, the comparing. I’m also really just putting myself out there (here) as I define my artistic voice and learn how to present my work. I have an exhibit coming up this summer and this forum has been instrumental in me learning to speak intelligently about my work and my process.

Thanks for reading!

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As I see it…

natemetz — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 15:13:39 +0000

I captured this on my way to work Christmas Eve morning. You can really see the contrails of Santa’s sleigh criss-crossing the sky on his practice run!

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