Interview with photographer Nate Tangeman

[Nate Tangeman is a Rochester-based photographer. Pretty Ugly was the title of his BFA capstone project at RIT. Tangeman: “I think that what I have done with my project is push against the notions of the commercial image as something solely intended to sell, but also retain the striking visual language that is ubiquitous with commercial images.”]

---

Boom Town Press: Can you share your background and what led you to pursue photography?

Nate Tangeman: I started taking pictures after enrolling in a black and white darkroom class in community college. I really fell in love with the process and liked that you could use photography as a space to play. I was encouraged to study at RIT by my professor there. 

BTP: What is one of your favorite projects or photos you have taken?

NT: I think my capstone work for my BFA, “Pretty Ugly,” was a really big stepping stone for me. It was the longest I’ve ever spent working on one project, and there were so many things I learned from the whole process. I don’t think the work is entirely finished, and it may take a whole new form as I move forward, but it was an incredibly valuable learning experience.

BTP: The imagery almost has an anti-consumerism message, almost like Adbusters, or absurdity of commercialism. Can you give me a bit more info on how you came up with the theme Pretty Ugly?

NT: I like to think of Pretty Ugly less as a critique on consumerism, and more of an analysis of how the commercial image operates as a picture. I think that, in a general sense, commercial images without context are actually pretty frequently not absurd, and have very straightforward reasons as to why they exist, and it’s only when the images are put in relation to other images that their meanings can kind of evolve into something other than their original intention, which was to sell something. I think that what I have done with my project is push against the notions of the commercial image as something solely intended to sell, but also retain the striking visual language that is ubiquitous with commercial images. I think the absurdity comes in with the actual content of the images, where I make disparate juxtapositions between objects, backgrounds, and the compositional structure of the image. I want them to seem “wrong,” with varying degrees of subtlety.  I think that, within the genre of commercial images, there are certain hierarchies that are rarely challenged, simply because the images would cease to be effective commercial utilities if these hierarchies are changed. These can range from technical requirements, to messages conveyed through the image. I’m also interested in the play of expectation in the image. I kind of subvert my own ideas over and over again until the image sits in a place where I don’t really know what it does, as a picture. That’s when I think it does exactly what I want it to do.

I think the title of the project pretty much just encapsulates how I feel about the pictures themselves. I think they are “beautiful” pictures of things, but are the things themselves beautiful?

BTP: How would you describe your photographic style?

NT: I think I try to avoid “style” as much as I can, and focus instead on making the best picture I can of any given subject. There are plenty of thematic overlaps between pictures, however, and I guess that’s where my visual “style” comes from. I think that I have interests in commercial photography, “amateur” photography, conceptualism, and probably a few other things I can’t quite pin down yet, but I’m always looking for new methods of image making.

BTP: Who are your biggest artistic inspirations, and why?

NT: I think my favorite photographer is Roe Ethridge. His work stems from a career in commercial photography, and much of his “fine art” work is sourced from commercial assignments. He has a strange, funny, way of image making that I really admire, and his work and thought process always seems to be evolving. I also really like Torbjorn Rodland, whose work could almost be seen as borderline fetish content, but there is a real visceral physicality to the images that makes me aware of my different senses. His work also is very polished and commercial-looking, which I think is the perfect way to present his ideas. 

BTP: There is an entire section in your portfolio dedicated to flowers, tell us about that? 

NT: I love photographing flowers because I think of it as kind of a challenge to not make a picture that is entirely a cliche. Flowers are really easy to take “pretty” pictures of, but I’m always trying to make an interesting photo of flowers. I think of the flower pictures as experiments where I’m trying to see how I can picture this traditionally beautiful scene in a unique way.

BTP: What other themes do you explore in your work?

NT: I’ve recently been working through some ideas about cliches, and how a cliche can be photographed in a non-cliche way. I think cliches in photography are related to amateur photography, as they’re often the easiest things to photograph, so people are drawn to them. The challenge comes with making an image of a cliche into something new and interesting, and that’s what I’m working towards.

BTP: How has your environment influenced your photography?

NT: I’ve been really attracted to very “normal”, suburban areas, as I find the glossy perfection of the “ideal suburban life” to be really interesting to explore visually. Luckily, I’ve pretty much lived in this kind of area my whole life, so the pictures come from my own experience.

BTP: Can you tell us how you came up with this image “inventory”? 

NT: This is a scan of a physical collage I made using pictures taken from a ULINE catalog. I liked the pictures in the catalog because they are strictly informative, representational pictures that really have no space for extra ideas to be set upon them, at least in their original state. I think that by cutting out all the pieces and putting them together, like an inventory, I can kind of showcase the strict guidelines under which these pictures are made, which relates to the rest of the project. I taped the tiny cut-out pieces to a cutting mat, as I felt like the visual structure of the cutting mat was really interesting, and maybe to show that the picture itself is imbued visually with the process in which it was made. 

BTP: Do you have an ultimate goal as a photographer?

NT: I only want to make work that I feel is special. Whatever comes with that is secondary.

BTP: Can you describe any breakthrough moment in your artistic journey?

NT: I really don’t think I’ve had my breakthrough moment yet. I think I am building towards something though, but it all takes time. 

BTP: How do you approach the technical aspects of photography? (what equipments do you use)

NT: After I graduated from RIT, I lost access to all the fantastic equipment available to me, so I’ve been making do with my crop-sensor nikon and a few lenses. This has been really good for me, however, as I’m finding new ways to make pictures that focus less on the technical commercial-ness of their look, and more on the structure and color I can play with with lower image quality, and also working smaller and simpler.

BTP: What role does post-processing play in your work?

NT: Post-processing is absolutely essential to my process, as I think color is so important to my work. It often takes a lot of time and effort to get my colors where I want them, but I’m definitely still in a learning process right now.

BTP: How do you balance personal projects with academic/professional assignments?

NT: Hahaha, well, things are pretty light in the professional assignment department right now, which is absolutely fine, as I’m not really seeking out professional work at the moment, so I’m completely focused on personal work. 

BTP: What emotions do you aim to evoke in your audience?

NT: I want my pictures to be chill and funny, but also a little bit of a mystery.

BTP: How do you stay motivated during creative blocks?

NT: I’m always looking for new pictures to stay inspired. RIT has an amazing collection of photo books at their library, so i take frequent visits when I’m feeling stuck and I always come out refreshed and inspired

BTP: What is your favorite medium or format to work with?

NT: Digital photography is a revelation! I started taking pictures seriously on film when I was younger, as I didn’t really know how to edit my colors well, and film kind of does it for you. However, this past year I’ve really delved deep into color grading my digital images, and I’ve learned a lot. Now I can basically shoot for free, and spend more time making pictures than processing my film. 

BTP: What about this picture with the ant bait and bubbles, this doesn’t look photoshopped, if so how did you do it? 

NT: “Ant killer” was made with visual excess in mind, and I liked how the bubbles provided a visual flair to the picture, but also how bubbles are associated with cleanliness. I think the idea of cleanliness, in relation to pictures is really interesting, and how I often “clean” my pictures of imperfections much like commercial pictures are cleaned, and retouched to perfection. I really struggle with ideas of visual perfection in my work, as there are conflicting mindsets of visual “truth” that are so prevalent in the discourse surrounding contemporary photography. I made all the bubbles with a bubble gun.

BTP: How do you take feedback from viewers of your art or professors you’ve had, do you incorporate changes into your artistic process?

NT: I think the key is to get feedback from people that you trust. Right now my circle of people who see my work regularly is really small, but I take into account everything that is said about my work, whether it’s first reactions or more in-depth critiques. I think that in school I was often pulled in multiple directions due to the sheer amount of feedback I received, and I tried to have a response to everything that was said, which was nice to have, but also very draining. I think it’s important to get plenty of feedback, but it’s equally important to choose what feedback you trust and wish to build upon. 

BTP: And of course this one, please explain your collage. Was this analog or digitally created and if analog, this seems like a ton of magazines from the 1980s? Where did you get them?

NT: That one is a scan of another physical collage I made, using images mainly from old American Photography Showcase publications from the 80s and 90s. I think I was attracted to the pictures because of their high level of craft, but also their strict commercialness. I found that often the same visual ideas were repeated over and over, and that was really interesting to me. I worked on cutting out everything that contained a visual idea that I thought was either remarkably high quality, or remarkably bland, and often those two overlap.

BTP: How do you see your style evolving in the future? What do you want to get into or try?

NT: I think that I’m always looking to evolve my “style” or way of thinking about pictures as I go. I think my goal is to not be bored with what I’m working on, so that will inherently lead to changes in style. As for specifics, I have no idea what’s next! I like to experiment on the fly, so new ideas come and go all the time. 

BTP: How do you envision the impact of your work on the broader community?

NT: I’m not really sure yet. Right now I’m focused on the work itself, and I only hope that the pictures appeal to viewers and that they are able to engage with the deeper, subtler themes I’m trying to explore.

---

More of Nate Tangeman’s work can be found at: https://natetangeman.com/ and @natesphere