Nate Larson's photographic work uses visual and textual narrative to explore the way that we construct meaning in contemporary culture through the lenses of religion, consumer behavior, and secular mythologies. His stories weave tales of ordinary days gone peculiar, obsessive methods of analysis and insignificant objects that suddenly take on extraordinary significance. Miraculous pennies arrive in the mail, healing spells transfer through television programming and fortune cookie numbers win the lotto. Through this darkly humorous storytelling he dissects the line between belief and skepticism, while examining ideas of personal truth and common misperceptions surrounding photographic documents.
MIRACLE PENNIES
A mysterious letter arrives one day from the Prophet Peter Popoff, an evangelizing minister based in California. The letter promises two special miracles for money problems as well as movement into the "secret circle of God's supernatural blessing." Inside is a second sealed envelope containing five prayer-anointed miracle pennies, a packet of miracle spring water and directions on using the five pennies to "slay the giants that have tormented you and also to meet all your needs." The pennies are to be placed under a pillow, cast into water, anointed with oil, hidden in a secret place and placed in a bible next to a particular passage. Following completion of these five tasks, the recipient is to anoint their foot with the packet of miracle spring water, trace the foot on a piece of paper and return the first penny with a $20 suggested donation to receive the supernatural anointing and further instructions.
Enamored with the complex nature of the letter, I endeavor to fully and faithfully complete the detailed instructions. The story arc traces my steps and uses the resulting experiences as a vehicle to explore issues of faith, longing, belief and humor.
Nate Larson is a Chicago-based artist and photographer. His photographic work has been widely exhibited across the US and featured internationally in shows in Canada, Hungary, the Netherlands, Greece, Belgium, and Spain. His work has been written about in numerous publications, including Art Papers and The New York Times. His photoworks and artist books are included in the collections of the Center for Photography at Woodstock, the Midwest Photographers Project at the Museum of Contemporary Photography Chicago, and McHenry County College, among others.
Recent solo exhibitions include the Weston Art Gallery, Cincinnati; Packer Schopf Gallery, Chicago; Gallery 1401, Philadelphia; University of Notre Dame, Indiana; Real Art Ways, Connecticut; Duke University, North Carolina; Vanderbilt University, Nashville; and Amarillo College, Texas.
Recent group exhibitions include the New York Photo Festival, Brooklyn; Noorderlicht, the Netherlands; Fort Collins Museum of Contemporary Art, Colorado; Croxhapox, Belgium; La Casa de Las Conchas, Salamanca; Open Space, Canada; the Light Factory, Charlotte; Dam, Stuhltrager Gallery, Brooklyn; Rockford Art Museum, Illinois; Helen Pitt Galley, Vancouver; Houston Center for Photography, Texas; Thessaloniki Museum of Photography, Greece; Gallery 44 Centre for Contemporary Photography, Toronto; Exit Art, New York City; Parker's Box, Brooklyn; and the Center for Photography at Woodstock, New York.
His artwork has received grant support from the Ultimate Eye Foundation, Visual Studies Workshop, the Banff Centre, the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs, and the Illinois Arts Council. Larson earned an MFA from Ohio State University in 2002 and a BA from Purdue University in 2000. He holds a tenured teaching appointment at Elgin Community College in Chicago.
