Interview by Alicia Puig
Nick Pedersen is a photo-based digital artist and illustrator whose work focuses on environmental issues and political activism. He holds a BFA degree in Photography, as well as an MFA degree in Digital Imaging from Pratt Institute in New York. He has shown artwork in galleries across the country and internationally, recently including the Los Angeles Center for Digital Art, the Fleisher Art Memorial, and the NYC Affordable Art Fair. His work has been featured in numerous publications such as Vogue, Juxtapoz, Hi-Fructose, and on the covers of Photoshop User and After Capture. In the past few years, he has also completed Artist Residencies at the Banff Center in Canada, the Gullkistan Residency in Iceland, and the Starry Night Retreat in New Mexico.
Statement
My artwork is primarily inspired by my experience with nature and environmentalism. It is specifically motivated by my concern for the future due to the effects of climate change, sea level rise, deforestation, and many other environmental impacts humans have had on the planet. My goal with these projects is to visually depict this modern conflict between the natural world and the manmade world in interesting and provocative ways, to create elaborate, photorealistic images that carry a message of conservation and sustainability. Through my work, I want to show a glimpse into these hypothetical worlds and provide viewers a space in which to contemplate the future of our planet.
How did you first become interested in art and can you explain a bit of how it led you to the work you create today?
Growing up, I was always interested in photography, documenting my adventures in the outdoors and all the places I travelled. I got my degree in photography and started learning how to use digital tools for photo editing, which was a revelation. I realized that instead of using photography just for documentation, I could also create whatever I could imagine. I did a lot of experimentation with digital photomontage and came up with my own style and conceptual motivations. A few years later I decided to pursue an MFA degree in Digital Arts at Pratt Institute in New York to really focus on these techniques and concepts. After taking everything that Iāve learned, now Iām working on various personal projects and commissions, showing my work in a few galleries, publishing my artist books, and teaching workshops on photography and digital imaging.
Tell us about the inspiration behind your artwork or a specific series that you're currently working on.
The main inspiration for much of my artwork has been my experience with nature and environmentalism. Iām motivated by my concern for the future, due to the effects of things like climate change, sea level rise, deforestation and many other environmental impacts humans have had on the planet. My goal with these projects is to visually depict this modern conflict between the natural world and the manmade world in interesting and provocative ways, and create elaborate, photorealistic images that carry a message of conservation and sustainability. I portray this as an epic struggle and in my work these forces clash in ātheatrical, post-apocalyptic battlegroundsā.
My newest series, "Floating World" is an ongoing project exploring the impending issues sea of level rise in coastal cities around the world, and depicting those most threatened by flooding in the future. With carbon emissions reaching levels not seen in 15 million years, the atmosphere is currently on course towards a āclimate crisisā where modern civilization could become unsustainable. From melting polar ice caps, ocean acidification, and sea level rise to historic droughts, stronger wildfires, and more extreme weather events, we are quickly approaching a strange and unpredictable future. This work explores the idea that the world as we know it might not be around forever, and questions the legacy that modern humanity will be handing down to the next generations.
What do you hope your viewers take away from seeing your art and how do you think working in photography and digital art specifically adds to the effect of your work?
All of my artwork is created using my own photography, so after researching and sketching out ideas to work with, the next step is to photograph everything I need for the project. For much of my past work I started with images from cities on the east coast like New York, Brooklyn, and Philadelphia which was perfect to collect photos of urban decay like buildings overgrown with vines and industrial ruins. The images of animals came from the wild, zoos, aquariums, taxidermy shops, and museums of natural history. Finally, many of the landscape images came from traveling around the US and to a few different countries over the past few years to capture the best source material. Then to create my images, I use a complex process of digital imaging and each image is actually made up of about 50 or more photographs meticulously pieced together. So I spend a lot of effort building up an image, figuring out the lighting, shadows, color, and other effects to make it look realistic and seamless. Each piece is carefully planned out and created as an intricately layered construction, which gives it such a hyper-real, illustrative quality. Through this work, my main goal is to show viewers a glimpse into these hypothetical worlds that Iāve created, and provide a space to contemplate the future of our planet.
Describe your current studio or creative space. What is most important about it or one thing that you definitely need in your work area?
Last year we bought a house, so Iāve actually been working to set up a new home/studio. So far, I have a desk station for my computer equipment, a photo space with backdrops and studio lights, and a large-format printer, along with a drafting table and flat-file cabinet. The studio space is set up really well for me to create my digital photomontage pieces and then print my own limited editions of the work. A large part of my creative time is also spent taking photos out in the wilderness, at parks, museums, or travelling to get all the source material I use in my artwork. So I would say the single most important thing for my work would be my camera, because I take it with me everywhere.
What one piece of creative or business advice would you give to your younger self?
In terms of business, it is really important to realize early on that you will be running a small business as a visual artist. I resisted that for a long time because I just wanted to create artwork, but Iāve learned a lot since then and I think Iām now at a place where Iām confident about what Iām doing with my career. Creatively, I think it is important to continuously learn new things and expose yourself to new situations so you have something relevant to respond to. I would say that the most important thing is to follow your own path, and create the artwork that you are actually interested in and care about. For me, it has been important to create artwork that is about the time I live in, that has personal meaning and raises significant questions.
Do you have any big collaborations, projects, exhibitions, etc. going on during the rest of the year that you'd like to share?
A few weeks ago I completed a great artist residency in southern New Mexico called the Starry Night Retreat. It was a really interesting place to work, and I gathered a huge amount of new source material taken from many strange and beautiful parts of the Southwest. With this work Iām thinking about creating a new series using the expansive landscapes I photographed at the White Sand Dunes, and combining it with my other imagery from the region showing astronomical research, space exploration, and weapons testing that has been a big part of New Mexicoās history. So this year Iām taking some time away from exhibitions to focus more on researching, experimenting, and coming up with new ideas for environmental series and other projects. One big thing Iām looking forward to is that I will be a Visiting Artist at Pratt Institute coming up this fall, where I will be doing guest lectures and critiques for the Digital Arts Department.
Stay tuned for new work, and feel free to follow me at:
