bio-new

Simply stated, Nathan Wirth attempts to photograph silence.

Longer Bio

Using a variety of techniques– including long exposure, infrared, intentional camera movement and the occasional dip into compositing– Nathan Wirth, who was born and raised in San Francisco, is a self-learned photographer who seeks to express his unending wonder for the fundamental fact of existence. In his work, he attempts to focus on the silence that we can sometimes perceive in between the incessant waves of sound that often dominate our perceptions of the world. Nathan earned both his Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in English Literature from San Francisco State University and brings a deep appreciation of poetry to his explorations of place (especially the sea). Poets such as George Oppen, Gary Snyder, Seamus Heaney, Robert Frost, Elizabeth Bishop, Mary Oliver, Lorine Niedecker, and George Mackay Brown have played a fundamental role in shaping his attention to the things and places that he photographs. Often returning to the same locations many times, Nathan seeks to explore the silence and the sublimity of those places. In addition to poetry, Nathan is profoundly influenced by the paintings of Morris Graves, Caspar David Friedrich, Edward Hopper, Mark Rothko, and Camille Pissarro and the photography of Michael Kenna, Edward Weston, and Wright Morris.

For the past few years, Nathan has been studying and integrating into his work Japanese traditions of Zen, rock gardens, ma, and calligraphy– as well as the transience, impermanence, and imperfections of wabi-sabi. Nathan’s studies of Zen calligraphy and Zen writings have led him to the practice of trying to achieve, while working on his photography, a mind of no-mind (mu-shin no shin), a mind not preoccupied with emotions and thought, one that can, as freely as possible, simply create.

Nathan also complements his photography by gardening and studying and practicing the art of Ikebana (specifically the Sogetsu School of Ikebana).

Nathan also curates and edits, slices of silence, an online place to read and view conversations about photography.

Nathan, after living in San Francisco for the first 44 years of his life, moved to Marin County and currently makes his living teaching English Composition at City College of San Francisco.

Gallery Representation

Nathan is represented by The Great Highway Gallery in San Francisco. Please contact John Lindsey with your questions. I sell my own artist-made prints through this website (click on the Buy Prints link above for more information). John can produce larger prints than the ones I offer through this site (and I work with him on-site to create those prints).

Exhibited

2020 — The Book Passage Art Gallery (solo show), Corte Madera, CA – Nov 1, 2019 – January 31, 2020
2019 — Napa County Fair, Napa, CA. Aug 7, 2019 – Aug 11, 2019
2019 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. July 3-July 7, 2019 (14 images)
2018 — The Sound of Trees (solo show), The Great Highway Gallery, San Francisco, CA Nov 17, 2018 – Nov 30, 2018
2018 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. June 30-July 4, 2018 (8 images)
2017 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA. June 30-July 4, 2017 (13 images)
2017 — Wanderlust Exhibition, Dickerman Prints, San Francisco, CA June – 2017 (Group Exhibition- 1 image)
2017 — B&W Minimalism Magazine Photography Exhibition, Center for Contemporary Creations, Isfahan, Iran – May 26, 2017 – June 20, 2017
2017 — B&W Minimalism Magazine Photography Exhibition, Yadegaran Art Gallery, Kerman, Iran – February 17-24, 2017 (4 images)
2016 — International Symposium for Contemplative Studies, San Diego, CA – November 10-13, 2016 (Exhibited with Matthieu Ricard)
2015 — Stone Altars (book release and solo show), The Great Highway Gallery, San Francisco, CA September 19, 2015 – October 17, 2015
2015 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA, July 1-5, 2015 (6 images).
2015 — Golden Camera Awards Exhibition. Kyiv Photography School, Kiev, Ukraine, March 31-April 30, 2015 (6 images)
2015 — Golden Camera Awards Exhibition. National Museum of Taras Shevchenko, Kiev, Ukraine, March 27-29, 2015 (6 images)
2014 — a slice of silence (solo show), The Great Highway Gallery, San Francisco, CA May 3, 2014 – July 4, 2014
2014 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA, July 2-6, 2014 (4 images).
2013 — Marin County Fair, San Rafael, CA, July 3-7, 2013 (3 images).

Projects

2017 — Wine Label for Brook and Bull, Walla Walla, WA (2015, 2016 Walla Walla Valley Cabernet Sauvignon)
2016 — Artist Series Wine Label for Kenwood Vineyards (Cabernet Sauvignon)

Events

2021 — Town Hall Seattle Panel on Spirited Stone: Lessons from Kubota’s Garden with Charles Johnson and Marcus Green (View –> HERE <–)
2017 — Photo Talk and Presentation for the Pacific Association for the Continental Tradition Conference at the University of San Francisco, September, 29 2017
2017 — Book Signing and Discussion with Gary Snyder, Jason Wirth, Dale Pendell, and Nathan Wirth at the Open Book in Grass Valley, CA August 5, 2017 (read about it –> here).
2013 — Photo Performance Collaboration with jazz musicians Phil Nimmons and David Braid at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa, Canada, November 2013
2013 — Photo Talk for the Pacific Association for the Continental Tradition Conference at the University of San Francisco, September 2013

Recognized

2020 — Black and White Minimalist Photography Awards – Named one of the 50 Best Minimalist Photographers
2019 — Dodho Magazine, Black and White Photographer of the Year 2019 – Finalist
2019 — Black and White Spider Awards. One Honorable Mention (Nature Category); Three Nominations
2019 — Napa County Fair. Best of Show – Creative Print; Second Place (Black & White); Honorable Mention (Black & White)
2019 — Marin County Fair. Best Print – Beauty of Trees; First Place (Moonscapes); First Place (Creative or Alternative Print); Three Honorable Mentions
2019 — Moscow International Foto Awards. Third Place (Bronze) – Fine Art – Abstracts
2019 — Tokyo International Foto Awards, Gold and Bronze Medals (Nature Category)
2018 — Black and White Spider Awards. Two Honorable Mentions (Nature Category); Three Nominations
2018 — International Photography Awards – Nature: Trees. Honorable Mention
2018 — Marin County Fair. Best of Show Monochrome Print; Second Place (Marvelous Marin); Two Honorable Mentions
2018 — Moscow International Foto Awards. Second Place (Silver) – Nature – Trees
2018 — International Color Awards. 1 Nomination – Fine Art Category
2018 — Monochrome Awards. Fine Art Discovery of the Year (First Place), Four Honorable Mentions
2017 — Epson International Pano Awards. 2 Gold Medals, 3 Silver Medals, 3 Bronze Metals — and three images placed in top 50
2017 — Black and White Spider Awards. Third Place (Nature Category); Third Place (Silhouettes Category); Nomination (Fine Art Category)
2017 — International Photography Awards – Nature: Trees. Third Place
2017 — Marin County Fair. Photographer of the Year; Best of Show Monochrome Print; Jack Fulton Award; One Honorable Mention
2017 — Moscow International Foto Awards. Third Place (Bronze) – Nature – Trees
2017 — Dodho Magazine, Black and White Photographer of the Year 2017 – Awarded Merit of Honor
2017 — International Color Awards. 3 Nominations – Nature Category, Abstract Category
2016 — Tokyo International Foto Awards, Honorble Mention – Nature Category
2016 — Black and White Spider Awards. Honorable Mention (Nature Category), Three Nominations (Nature Category, Fine Art Category)
2016 — International Photography Awards. Two Honorable Mentions
2016 — PX3. Honorable Mention
2016 — International Color Awards. Nominee – Nature
2016 — International Photography Awards – Family of Man. Honorable Mention
2015 — Black and White Spider Awards. Honorable Mention – Nature
2015 — Moscow International Foto Awards. First Place – Nature – Trees; Three Honorable Mentions in the Nature and Abstract Categories
2015 — International Photography Awards. Honorable Mentions – Fine Art-Landscape; Nature-Landscapes
2015 — Siena International Photography Awards. Finalist, Landscapes
2015 — Marin County Fair. All-Around Best Print of Show; First Place – Monochrome; First Place – Creative-Alternate; Special Landscape Award; Three Honorable Mentions
2015 — PX3. Honorable Mention
2015 — Golden Camera Awards. First Place – Landscape
2014 — Stark Awards. Honorable Mention – Zen / Minimalism
2014 — International Photography Awards. Honorable Mentions – Fine Art-Landscape; Fine Art-Other, Nature-Landscapes
2014 — Marin County Fair. 1st Place Ribbon, Special Category, State Parks; Honorable Mention, Creative
2014 — PX3. Honorable Mention, Collage
2013 — International Photography Awards. Honorable Mention – Deeper Perspective
2013 — Marin County Fair. 2nd Place Ribbon, Monochrome, Honorable Mention, Monochrome
2012 — International Photography Awards. Honorable Mentions – Fine Art, Portrait & Fine Art, Landscape

Published

2021 — (Print) Agenda Magazine Vol 54 Nos. 1-2 (2 images)
2020 — (Print) Spirited Stone: Lessons from Kubota’s Garden (10 images)
2019 — (Print) NSEW, Issue 2 / Fall/Winter 2019 (images and interview)
2019 — (Online) Dodho Magazine – Interview
2019 — (Print) Cover Art for In the Half Light by Peter Weltner
2019 — (Print) Cover Art for Vespers on Point Reyes by Peter Weltner
2019 — (Print) Old-Growth by Peter Weltner (7 poems) and Nathan Wirth (7 tipped-in photos) — Limited Edition (100), Hardbound, Signed Book published by Marrowstone Press (for sale on this website)
2019 — (Print) Black & White 2019 – Best photographers of the Year (Published by Dodho Magazine)
2019 — (Print) Cover Art for Nietzsche and Other Buddhas: Philosophy after Comparative Philosophy by Jason Wirth
2019 — (Print) Cover Art for Reoccupy Earth: Notes Toward an Other Beginning by David Wood
2019 — (Print & PDF) “Learning to See by Letting Go” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
2019 — (Print & PDF) “Wabi-sabi: Cultivating an Appreciation for and an Expression of What Is There” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
2019 — (Print & PDF) “The Sea is “in” the Waters of the Ocean” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
2019 — (Print & PDF) “Ma” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
2018 — (Print & PDF) “Mushin: Slicing through the Silence” by Nathan Wirth (for LEMAG: Long Exposure Photography Magazine — images and an article)
2018 — (Print) Cover Art for The North (Juno Award winning jazz album by David Braid, Mike Murley, Johnny Aman, Anders Morgensen)
2018 — (Print) Cover Art for Andre Kunz’s Jazz Release Silence
2017 — (Online) Dodho Magazine — Twilight by the Sea(sons)
2017 — (Online) Dodho Magazine – Interview
2017 — (Print) Black & White 2017 – Best photographers of the Year (Published by Dodho Magazine)
2017 — (Print) Cover Art for Mountains, Rivers, and the Great Earth: Reading Gary Snyder and Dogen in an Age of Ecological Crisis by Jason Wirth
2017 — (Print) Four images used in Engaging Dogen’s Zen: The Philosophy of Practice as Awakening edited by Tetsuzen Jason M. Wirth, Shudo Brian Schroeder, Kanpu Bret W. Davis
2017 — (Print) The Light of the Sun Becomes the Sea, a collaboration with poet Peter Weltner, a book of poems (4 images)
2017 — (Online) Dodho Magazine (Infrared Silence)
2016 — (Online) Petapixel (Imaginations)
2016 — (Print) Buddhadharma Magazine
2016 — (PDF) The Black and White Landscape Companion Book (interview and images)
2016 — (Print) Lion’s Roar Magazine
2016 — (PDF) Pentaprism Magazine #13 (interview, cover image, and images)
2015 — (Print) Korean Translation of Living This Life Fully: Stories and Teachings of Munindra by Mirka Knaster (published by Alchemist Books in South Korea) 15 of my images used
2015 — (PDF) Blur Magazine
2015 — (PDF) Shades of Grey: Fine Art Photography Magazine
2015 — (Online) Mother Nature Network (Infrared Silence)
2015 — (Online) C|Net (Imaginations)
2015 — (Online) Seeing Neon: Art | Technology | Design (Imaginations)
2015 — (Online) Dodho Magazine (Suburban Observations)
2015 — (PDF) Square Magazine Imaginations
2015 — (Print) Stone Altars, a collaboration with poet Peter Weltner, a book of poems with 8 images.
2015 — (Online) Dodho Magazine, April 2015 (Suburban Observations)
2015 — (Print) Spiritus: A Journal of Christian Spirituality, Spring 2015, Vol. 15, Number 1 (1 image)
2015 — (PDF) Pentaprism Magazine, March 2015
2014 — (Online) Poetry / Photography collaboration with poet Peter Weltner, the light ekphrastic, August 2014
2014 — (PDF) Photograph (Interview and Feature), 2014
2013 — (Print & PDF) Plus One Collection: Volume Three
2013 — (Print) Art Booklet and Cover for Nimmons’n’Braid – Suite St. John’s: Falling Through, 2013
2013 — Poster Art for the Balagula Theatre (Lexington, Kentucky) production of E.G.O. : The Passions of Eugene Gladstone O’Neill, 2013
2012 — (Print & PDF) Plus One Collection: Volume Two
2012 — Cover Art for David Braid, Verge (winner of the Juno Award), 2012
2011 — (Print & PDF) Plus One Collection: Volume One

Online Galleries

Social Networking

Facebook

Instagram

Camera Equipment Used

Nathan uses cameras and lenses and filters and a tripod and a bag and a printer and paper and processing software and some other stuff.