C+C Photography Gallery is pleased to present Nathan Coe: Nostalgia. Opening July 28th at 30A Main Street, we are pleased to offer Coe's newest series shot on Nantucket between 2022-23, as well as a curated selection of works that highlight the artist's enduring connection to the island.
Uniting his passion for formal technique and composition, Coe’s works exude a deep reverence for the classics with a uniquely modern twist. Best known for his lush, evocative, cinematic beach landscapes, in recent years Coe has introduced the unexpected in the form of subtle human intervention. For Coe, the inclusion of the nude female figure—often shown with her back to the camera as though she is blissfully unaware of the artist’s presence-–represents the innate human connection to nature in its purest form.
Coe’s newly released 2022-23 Nantucket series captures the nostalgic essence of the island complemented by the artist’s signature element of surprise. Emphasizing the beautiful unpredictability of both the natural landscape and of the human body, each work documents a specific moment in time that cannot be replicated. Depicted in the misty outline of a wave crashing on the shore, the unique pattern of tire marks left on the sand, and the tangled strands of a woman’s hair blowing in the breeze, Coe’s latest body of work celebrates the result of a truly unplanned, organic moment.
Exhibition highlights include Dogwalker and Rollercoaster, both of which Coe admits turned out remarkably different than he originally envisioned. Looking back on Dogwalker, Coe recalls “I had pictured a shot with all the dogs and model running free,” however, “the resulting image was perfect.” Following behind the model as their leader, the dogs seem to almost mimic her posture as they face away from Coe’s camera and gaze out ahead over the Nantucket landscape. Similarly with Rollercoaster, Coe intended to photograph a completely empty beach road out by Eel Point, interrupted only by the tracks of cars that had passed through. “Tripod ready,” Coe was just about to click the shutter when “a red jeep came torquing over the dunes,” making for a fantastically unexpected and fortuitous moment.
Exhibition highlights include Rollercoaster, Dogwalker, and Cisco Disco from Coe's latest series shot on Nantucket between 2022-23, as well as with a curated selection of works that highlight the artist's enduring connection to the island.