Nathaniel Coalson Biography

A life rooted in the arts

I became a professional artist and designer as a teenager, after spending my young life immersed in music and art (piano, trumpet, guitar… drawing, painting, airbrush illustration). My focus ultimately turned toward the visual.

From the age of 17, I worked as a graphic designer for two decades, first in digital imaging and printing. Then came the Web and multimedia. In 1998, I founded an interactive agency to develop web sites and digital media for global companies. This was during the boom years of the net—when the bubble burst, I decided to get back to basics: making pictures simply for other people to enjoy.

So around 2003, I set out on my path as a fine art photographer. And what a journey it’s been.

Images, imagination and inspiration

Starting out working in nature and landscape photography, I was most inspired by Ansel Adams and William Neill. The images and writing of Galen Rowell, John Paul Caponigro and Freeman Patterson also had a profound influence on my work.

Over time—and drawing on my background in the graphic arts—I moved decidedly toward abstraction. I found inspiration in Man Ray’s photography, Gerhard Richter’s mixed media and the daring works of early impressionist and abstract expressionist painters.

Now, I work to create simple, graphic pictures that engage the heart and mind of every individual who sees them, each for different reasons. I love imagery that tricks the mind and makes us wonder, revealing who we are as individuals. (You can read more about all this in my Artist Statement.)

My works have been widely exhibited and are held in private and corporate collections, along with commercial installations, around the world. I’ve also published several books on photography.

I’ve been awarded the distinction of Associate of the Royal Photographic Society and I’m the founder and director of Gallery Photiq in Leamington Spa, England.