Patrick Nagatani — Artist Biographical Backgrounds

Patrick Nagatani was an American artist who used photography, collage, and miniatures to play with and manipulate viewers’ perceptions of reality, often by making fictional histories.

BIOGRAPHY:

• Born in Chicago, Illinois in 1945
• Earned a MFA from the University of California, Los Angeles in 1979
• Received two National Endowment for the Arts fellowships
• Lived and worked in New Mexico until his death in 2017
• Aimed to “raise public consciousness” about issues of pollution, technology, and industry
• Used miniatures and collage to manipulate the viewer’s eye and sometimes created false histories, calling into question the reliability of photography
• Often collaborated with other artists to make large, narrative projects
• Known for experimenting with the “low-tech” processes like using layers of masking tape to edit large-scale images instead of editing them digitally

“My approach to the work has allowed me to be part historian, archaeologist, geologist, cartographer, photographer, and the Japanese-American Sansei investing what has been a part of my cultural identity “

Watch Artist Interview Here