Natalie Christensen

Photographer Natalie Christensen’s focus is on banal peripheral landscapes unnoticed by most - commonplace architecture and streetscapes deconstructed to color fields, geometry and shadow. “Sometimes I get a glimpse of the sublime in these ordinary places.” Based in Santa Fe, New Mexico and influenced by her 25 years as a psychotherapist, her work favors psychological metaphors.

“The symbols and spaces in my images are invitations to explore a rich world concealed from consciousness, tapping into something deeply familiar to our experience; often disturbing, sometimes amusing…unquestionably present.”

Her compositions which capture both colour, line and texture feel almost more like a painting than a digital photograph. She is drawn to the light and surreal qualities created by negative space. There is a playful unexpected quality to her images which are intriguing and conjure an evolving narrative.

The beauty of this environment is clear to most people; however, my interest is to explore the more banal suburban landscapes that may not be noticed by the casual observer and to draw attention to the drama that is missed. I am using symbols and shapes, line and shadow, to present psychological metaphors in the landscape. Closed and open doors, shadows and swimming pools draw me to a scene as they invite conjecture. - Natalie Christensen

Natalie studies colour fields, geometric shapes and juxtapositions created by light and shadow. Her images emphasise what is happening within the frame and invite the viewer to contemplate what is happening outside the edges but that which can't be seen. This serves as a reminder that there is always something there, below the surface of awareness, threatening to reveal something new.

We are delighted to represent the photography of Natalie Christensen exclusively in the Nordics.

TOGETHER /APART - Natalie Christensen & Jim Eyre

These composite images of surreal cityscapes embody the disquieting experience of how our lives have been transformed by the ravages of COVID-19.

We have retreated from our daily routines and into our homes for an unprecedented period of time. With no end in sight, we rely more than ever on the digital arena for human connection. We can no longer be in densely populated urban spaces, grabbing a coffee with friends or going out to see a film. In response to the isolation, we created these hypnogogic landscapes to reflect upon the experience of roaming inside our smartphones in the time of coronavirus. For many of us, that has become the sole place to process the impact of so much change and loss. When the digital realm is all we have - rather than a supplement to “real life” – for some, the hollowness is more apparent. While we are coming to grips with the fact that isolation is now the key to our survival for the foreseeable future, circumstances beg the question – is this really living? And if we are truly social beings, what will be the impact of riding out a pandemic while gazing at our tiny black mirrors?

Expanding on our work from ALTEREDSTATES/ALTEREDSCAPES, we are again combining photographs from our respective communities and responding to the experience of leaving behind our former lives and participating in a global effort to stop the spread of the virus. Architectural fragments and elements of the landscape are mingled to present diverse psychological experiences of this new world we are living in – such as shock, loneliness, yearning, fear. Unable to go out into the streets, we are paradoxically creating intentional chaos as we seek some kind of order, healing, or catharsis in an increasingly unpredictable world. And we wait in anticipation for the time when it is safe to return to our lives and gather together again.

Images from Together / Apart are available and exhibited exclusively by the Nordic Art Agency gallery.

Series: ENDURING INDECISION

Navigating the uncertainties of midlife, Natalie Christensen begun to consider the time she had left to live, and how she wanted to live it. She could remain in the comfort of the familiar routines I’ve built, or she could venture into a less comfortable unknown that offers possibility and expansion. The uncertain space between these two choices is a demanding place to be, an uneasy transition that’s universal to the human experience but feels solitary when it’s happening to oneself. Deliberating the pros and cons of either path, she realised that she was caught in a binary way of thinking, controlled by the dilemma. Yet the ethos of our culture nudges me to decide and act. 

Looking at her surroundings, she is drawn to capture scenes that embody these internal states: Encounters between seemingly opposing forces, objects that run parallel but never meet, moments of despair inextricably combined with fleeting illumination. In times of internal balance, she can float, breathe, and endure the tension of opposites.  While clarity is something she longs for, she has come to recognise that the tension of not knowing is not a problem to be solved, but rather, an unexpected source of inspiration  and expression. Each day is a new lesson in my tolerance for ambiguity: to not know how things will turn out, and to accept being suspended in the state of becoming.

The series of images is available exclusively to the Nordic Art Agency and are currently exhibited on 1st floor of the gallery.

Series 1. Cars

Archival natural pigment prints on Italian cotton rag, beautifully framed on Dibond in a white shadow box.

This series is available exclusively to the Nordic Art Agency

75 x 50 cm Limited Edition of 10, 20,000 Sek / 1800€

Series 2. Last Night I Dreamt I knew how to Swim

Archival natural pigment prints on Italian cotton rag, beautifully framed on Dibond in a white shadow box.

Each image is available in three limited edition sizes, unframed prices are also available:

61 x 40 cm Limited Edition of 10, 18,000 Sek / 1600 €

75 x 50 cm Limited Edition of 6, 21,000 Sek / 2000€

122 x 81 cm Limited Edition of 4, 37,500 Sek / 3300€

Series 3. The DECONSTRUCTED self

Archival natural pigment prints on Italian cotton rag, beautifully framed on Dibond in a white shadow box.

Each image is available in three limited edition sizes, unframed prices are also available:

61 x 40 cm Limited Edition of 10, 18,000 Sek / 1600€

75 x 50 cm Limited Edition of 6, 21,000 Sek / 2000€

122 x 81 cm Limited Edition of 4, 37,500 Sek / 3300€

Artist Biography

SELECTED EXHIBITIONS

Christensen’s recent and current exhibitions include Building Identity / Modern Architectural Heritage of the Emirates, Palm Springs Modernism Week, Palm Springs, CA; Abbaye St André Centre d’art contemporain, Meymac, France; Sahara West Gallery and Performing Arts Center, Las Vegas

2022

Juried Exhibition, Stories from my Childhood, Northern Illinois State University, November 29, 2022 - February 17, 2023

Group exhibition RESPONSE, Pie Projects, Santa Fe, New Mexico, September 23-Oct 24, 2022

Street Installation with Jim Eyre, SHIFTINGSCAPES, Soho and Mayfair locations, London, UK Aug 22 -29 and Aug 22 - September 5, 2022

Solo Exhibition, The Deconstructed Self, Sahara West Gallery, Las Vegas, NV June 16 - Sept 6, 2022

Annual Exhibition, Royal Scottish Academy, The Mound April 23 - June 12 ,2022

Solo Collaborative Exhibition with Jim Eyre, TOGETHER/APART, Turner Carroll Gallery, Santa Fe, NM March 11 - April 18, 2022

Juried Exhibition, curated by Alexis Lowry, Senior Curator Dia Foundation, HIGH CONTRAST, Trolley Barn Gallery, Poughkeepsie, NY March 14 - April 11, 2022

Invited Exhibiting Artist, The Reconstructed/Deconstructed Self, Intersect Arts Center, St. Louis, MO, March 28 - May 20, 2022

Showcase artist and juror, Juried Group NFT Exhibition, An Invitation, hosted by Art.3io and New Art City, April 2022

2021

Solo Exhibition, The Deconstructed Self, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth, TX November 5 - December 11, 2021

Juried Exhibition, ArtsThrive, Albuquerque Museum, Albuquerque, NM October 9 - December 5, 2021

Solo Exhibition, Limits, Galerie Catherine et Andre Hug, Paris, France September 16 - October 31, 2021

Juried Exhibition, Real or Imagined Juried by Clare Bell, Director of Exhibitions, Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, Attleboro Arts Museum, Attleboro, MA June 16 - July 15, 2021

Solo Exhibition, Semblances of Thresholds and Boundaries, Nordic Art Agency in conjunction with Copenhagen Photo Festival, Malmo, Sweden June 3 - June 30, 2021

Juried Exhibition, Expressions West 2021 , Coos Art Museum, Coos Bay, OR April - June 2021

Art Auction 53, Yellowstone Art Museum, Billings, MT January 22 - March 6, 2021

2020

Nordic Art Agency International Art Pop Up, HANSA, Malmö, Sweden Nov 27 - Jan 1, 2020

International Juried Exhibition, Center for Photographic Art, Carmel, CA Nov 14- Dec 20, 2020

Top 10 Finalist: In Isolation: You, Me, We, Lucie Foundation & Musee Magazine Exhibition, August - September, 2020

Solstice: Create Art for Earth Juried by Judy Chicago, Turner Carroll Gallery, Santa Fe, NM June 20 - August 12, 2020

Art in the West Juried Exhibition, High Desert Museum, Bend OR August 1 - October 3, 2020

Making a Way Juried Exhibition, South Bend Museum of Art, South Bend, IN June 1 - December 27, 2020

Solo Exhibition, The Deconstructed Self, Fort Worth Community Arts Center, Fort Worth, TX July 20 - August 29, 2020 - POSTPONED

Taking Pictures, 2020, Juried Exhibition, Black Box Gallery, Portland, OR April 1 - 20, 2020

Representing the West: A New Frontier, Juried Exhibition, Sangre de Cristo Arts Center, Pueblo, CO January 28 - March 19, 2020

2019

Solo exhibition, “The Deconstructed Self” Galerie Minimal Berlin, Germany August 3 - October 4, 2019

Escape International Juried Exhibition, Midwest Center for Photography, Wichita, Kansas August 2-30, 2019

5th Annual Group Show, David Orton Gallery, juried by Paula Tognarelli Curator Griffin Museum of Photography Hudson, NY July 20 - August 11, 2019

Solo exhibition, “Last night I dreamt I knew how to swim” Turner Carroll Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico April-May, 2019

Solo collaborative exhibition with Jim Eyre, alteredstates/alteredscapes, Turner Carroll Gallery and El Rey Court, Santa Fe, NM April 19-21, 2019

A Year of Making Meaning: New Additions to the Collection 2019, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, April - June 2019

Royal Photographic Society International Exhibition 161, touring the United Kingdom Feb - Dec, 2019

Artist Talk, Royal Photographic Society, Midland Arts Centre, Birmingham, UK March, 30, 2019

Group Exhibition, Treat America Foley Gallery, New York, New York - January 2019

2018

Solo exhibition Altered Perspective, Turner Carroll Gallery, September 7- Oct 2, 2018

Solo collaborative exhibition with Jim Eyre, alteredstates/alteredscapes, UNM School of Architecture Gallery, September 14 - October 11, 2018 

Site: Brooklyn Gallery, Contemporary Photography 2008-2018  juried by Kristen Gaylord July 13 - August 2018

Invited Photographer, The National: Best of Contemporary Photography 2018, Fort Wayne Museum of Art April-July 2018

Artist Talk, Fort Wayne Museum of Art, April 2018

Solo collaborative exhibition with Jim Eyre, alteredstates/alteredscapes at Peckham Levels, London, U.K. February -April, 2018

33rd Annual International Exhibition, Meadows Gallery, University of Texas at Tyler January 22 - March 9, 2018

alteredstates/alteredscapes, exhibited on the Standard Vision Screen in downtown Los Angeles, CA. January, 2018

Griffin Museum of Photography, virtual gallery feature of "The Deconstructed Self" June - September 2018

Invited photographer for an electronic collaboration as part of Shifting Light: Photographic Perspectives at New Mexico Museum of Art,  Mar 4-10, 2018

 2017

Juried Group Show, Primary to Tertiary - Site: Brooklyn, Brooklyn, NY November 3 - December 3, 2017

Two person exhibition, "Light Minded" Actors Theatre Gallery, Louisville, KY  Sept 1 - Nov 2, 2017

Work x 5 Invitational Group Show  - Clark Gallery,  Lincoln, MA (March)

Juried Group Show - Onomato Kunstleverein, Dusseldorf, Germany (February). Voted the "People's Choice" winner.

PUBLICATIONS

Minimalism in Photography, cover and featured artist, teNeues, Düsseldorf, Germany and 007 – Natalie Christensen, published by Setanta Books, London.

Into The Void Magazine, Featured Artist, August 2020

Collater.al Magazine, Natalie Christensen and the Eerie Calm of Pools, July, 2020

Plain Magazine, Featured Artist, June 2020

Artist Interview, angelacappetta.com, May 2020

Creative Boom, Featured Artist, April 2020

NR Magazine, Featured Artist, April 2020

LandEscape Contemporary Art Review, Featured Artist, September, 2019

Better Photography Magazine, Cover Story “The Unusual Magic of Form, Colour and Geometry” featured artist, September, 2019.

Magazine 43, Cover Story and featured artist, September, 2019

Aint-Bad, July, 2019

Visual Art Source, Editorial Feature, Review of Natalie Christensen, “Last Night I dreamt I knew how to swim” at Turner Carroll Gallery, April - May, 2019

Site Unseen, You’ve Probably Already Fallen in Love with this Photographer’s Work on Instagram, February 2019

The Plus Paper, The Psychology of Urban Minimalism, December 2018

Santa Fe New Mexican, Pasatiempo Magazine “Familiarity Breeds Introspection”, photographer Natalie Christensen

THE Magazine, Contemporary Art and Culture in Santa Fe and New Mexico Volume XXVI, Issue VII, portfolio feature, "Natalie Christensen -The Deconstructed Self"

Online feature Minimal Zine

Online feature Musee Magazine

Online feature Lens Culture Magazine

Online feature COS -Things

Online feature  Ignant.com

Online feature  Jungle Magazine

Online feature  All About Photo

Online feature  Women in Photography

Online feature  Profiles in Photography

Online feature Tagezanzieger

Online feature  Feature Shoot

AWARDS/RECOGNITION

Minimalist Photography Award – Fine Art Winner, 2022

Art Folio 2022 Gold Prize Winner

Juror's choice award - 2022 Objects of Desire exhibition, Northern Illinois University Art Museum, DeKalb, IL

Purchase Prize 33rd Annual International Exhibition, University of Texas

Urban 2020 Photo Awards finalist

Acclaimed Artist Series selection, NM Arts, 2020

Smithsonian’s 15th Annual Photo Contest finalist

Artist Residency, Chateau d’Orquevaux, Denis Dedirot Grant, 2020

Top 10 Finalist, Collaboration with Jim Eyre, Lucie Foundation, In Isolation: You, Me, We, August 2020

Honorable mention, Collaboration with Jim Eyre, International Photography Awards, Lucie Foundation, September 2019

Invited Panelist, Center and Turner Carroll Gallery, Bridging the Gap: Photography and Contemporary Art. Santa Fe, NM April 19, 2019

alteredstatesalteredscapes.com Launch at Review Santa Fe Photography Festival, October 19-20, 2018

Second place winner, 2018 International Juried Exhibition, Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, March 8 - 31, 2018

11th Julia M. Cameron Award, Honorable Mention.

Finalist, Smithsonian.com 15th Annual Photo Contest, "Go Deeper", Altered Images category. 2018

Purchase Award winner, 33rd Annual International Exhibition, Meadows Gallery, University of Texas at Tyler 2018

Featured photograph for Center Santa Fe's 2018 campaign "Gestalt at Monument Valley".2017

Chromatic Awards, honorable mention for "Go Deeper and On Shaky Ground"

Finalist, Critical Mass 2017, 2019 Photolucida

 Selected for “Art in Public Places”, New Mexico Arts, 2019

Permanent collection, purchase award for "Are these chairs taken?" University of Texas at Tyler, Department of Art and Art History

Permanent collection, Fort Wayne Museum of Art