Upstate; Revisiting the Roadways of Upstate New York is a photo documentary project that the artist began over 10 years ago and that she continues to work on each year when she returns to her home in Upstate New York.
Artist Statement
I am from New York. No, not the City; no, not Westchester. I am from Upstate, way upstate.
My ancestors came to New York from Ireland and Canada. They settled in Northern New York, the Adirondack Mountains, Lewis and Oneida Counties. I left New York State over 35 years ago, moved to the west coast thinking that I would never look back. I was wrong. For the past twenty years I have returned to my roots, spending summers at my cabin in the western region of the Adirondack Mountains.
Northern New York is beautiful and harsh, bitter, and sweet. It takes a hearty spirit to exist there. The winter is long and brutal. Along with the fresh air, the soothing sounds of wind, water, and birds, there is isolation. On the other side of the hardships and isolation, there is an enchantment that draws me back to this wilderness, far from the concerns of contemporary urban and suburban life.
Edmund Wilson describes the essence and shares snippets of the history of this area in his memoir, Upstate: Records and Recollections of Northern New York. Like Wilson, I have a strong connection to this region.
Each summer and fall I return to Upstate, and photograph along many of the roadways that Wilson loved to travel during his summers spent at his family home in Talcottville, NY.
As this project has developed over the years, I see reoccurring categories; sky, signs, flags, buildings, and curiosities that illustrate the beauty, history, character, and quirkiness that is unique to Upstate New York . --Kathleen Nathan, Las Vegas, NV
Kathleen Nathan was born in Utica, NY. She began her study of photography in 1973 at the Rochester Institute of Technology and Visual Studies Workshop in Rochester, NY. It was there where she began to develop her style and skills in black and white photography.
Kathleen obtained her MFA from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas in 1991. For more than 30 years her work has been exhibited in group and solo shows throughout the United States.
On exhibit at Sahara West Library from March 9 through May 20, 2023.
Reception: Thursday, March 9 from 5 to 7 p.m.
Monday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Tuesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Wednesday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Thursday: 10:00AM – 8:00PM
Friday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Saturday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
Sunday: 10:00AM – 6:00PM
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