Zach Neven is an artist/photographer living in Chatham, NY. He employs both traditional and non-traditional photographic techniques. Please visit him on his Facebook page for updated exhibit information.
by Heather Wentworth
I see you navigate towards photography. What is it about that medium that you really enjoy?
I find most artists are creative at a young age and never stop – we keep making stuff. My dad was a photographer for 15 years back before digital and I would be his stand in. I had point and shoots and kid cameras. For what I can remember, it really started with videos. I would film myself singing and dancing. I have done skits as well, where I would film, act, edit, as well as make animations. I never scripted anything; it was all in my head. Then I got a DSLR (digital single lens reflex) for Christmas one year and took some nature photos, Dad showed me how to use it. One day he asked me to come along to my sister’s track meet and that’s where my love of photography took off. I loved it – meeting people, learning, and playing with the camera settings. I also used to go to the city a few times a year and walk around with a friend who used to be a sanitation worker, so he knows the streets like the back of his hand. It’s during those times when I started developing a real love of catching the raw sense of everyday life.
Over the years I’ve been hired to photograph events, portraits, houses, products, and everything in-between. I love going around finding stuff. I drive around for hours looking for mostly abandoned buildings or cool views — anything that catches my eye. My style is very candid, I am not a fan of posing since it’s very formal and repetitive. Alot of photographers go out and photograph locations – they plan out everything – while me and my friend Josh just hop in the car and go and stumble across things. So to make a long answer short, for me it’s being able to capture something raw and in the moment, and coming up with a new way of seeing things differently.
I thought you were primarily a vintage black & white photography artist – but there’s some stunning color photographs I see from your portfolio as well. What do you prefer – black and white or color photography?
I love BW [black and white] for a few reasons; one being that for me I feel like I am old- school in the way I view the art of photography. I don’t plan for everything – it’s just capturing something that is more than likely not going to look the same again. It also makes you look at the whole photograph differently as well; you’re more drawn to different things – light, shadow, contrast, subtle grays in the photograph. Sometimes when a photograph has too much color, your eye does not know where to go to first, or it looks too messy – that’s where BW comes in and simplifies the photograph for the viewer. I prefer BW over color and yes, some things do look better in color, but I like the editing process more when it comes to my BW photographs.
What are the criteria that makes you stop and take a photo? Maybe, colors or objects that may not normally be seen together, for instance?
I already have ideas in my head that I like and always subconsciously look for. I love Americana – anything old and vintage really, that has both character and can speak to the viewer. I take photos for a few reasons – for myself, to expand my own art sense, and for my social media efforts – to show people new things, or things that are happening within the local town or I see something most people drive by every day but don’t really notice. I love that quote by Jay Maisel “the best camera is the one you have with you”. In today’s world this is your cell phone. But aside from my cell phone I also have a camera in my car for these occasions.
You have a photo of yourself wearing a t-shirt that says “Art Saved my Life”. Can you expound?
That’s a fact, art did save me in a way, because without the tools and abilities I naturally possess and am now using, I would not be who I am today. Without those tools and abilities, I’m not sure, and not interested, in knowing who I would be. I like this journey my career has taken me on. Like many others out there, any negative thoughts and feelings I’ve had, art has helped me through meeting people while on my photography ventures, and by learning and perfecting my craft.
How long have you been an artist? Ever do anything else that you enjoy as much?
For me I was always encouraged to make art, we had drawing and all sorts of art supplies. I loved Legos, I had a room full of them. Adults in my family would build the set with me and the next day I would turn it into something else entirely! And all the other creative things I have mentioned, I would always be making skits, animations, drawing, going to museums, antique stores, galleries. I was also very good at all my art classes in school and was always drawing in my notebook for classes. So one answer is 20+ years and the other answer is I been doing photography seriously for 10+ and painting, art stuff for 4+ years.
Where would you like to go from here with your art?
As far as it can take me. I would love to show more often, as well as sell work out of my studio. My mind never stops so I am always thinking and coming up with ideas. Some of my ideas do get written down. I have a resource folder of ideas. I definitely want my whole life to be creative in some way and be able to work for myself full time, not sure how that’s going to look, but I know I can do it at some point!
Have you ever thought that art has exhausted itself and there are no more new ideas?
To break this question down- the short answer is no, there are so many geniuses with ideas and different ways of seeing things and putting things together in ways people have not seen before- I do believe that everything has already been made and nothing is 100% original. There is a quote out there talking about just that – Banksy’s joke regarding a Picasso quote “the bad artists imitate, the great artists steal”. Everything is a mix of ideas and things that have come before it. Also, with new tech [technology] comes new art and new ways of looking at things. A classic example – just look at the wheel – it has been used for many things over the years, waterpower, cars, games and other things, but the people who invented the wheel just saw it as a wheel.
Digital art and its manipulation of an art piece using technology would have been unthinkable years ago…do you feel art is transformative and expressive of its time?
After all …we are in the digital age…. my thoughts on this is that it’s up to the viewer to determine if the work is transformative or expressive to them. For me I make the art for myself, but at the end of the day I am not the consumer/client. I can write up something about the work from my POV [point of view] but then the viewer will need to make their own judgements and form their own experiences, if that answers the question.
“These people are not real – they are made with ai (Midjourney). I like generating these faces for source and reference material for future projects. It’s fun to see what AI can do.” – Zach Neven
Do you take on commercial assignments?
Commercial as in being hired to photograph? Yes, I have been a photographer for 10+ years now and I have done many things, I have done events, portraits, parties, openings, products, real estate.
Has there ever been an assignment that you had to turn down? If so why?
I have only turned down things if I feel uncomfortable, especially in the beginning of my photography career. Now-a-days I try and work things out with the client or I’ll help them find someone else that I trust and know who will do a good job for them.
What does this area (the Northeast) have in feeling – that other parts of the country may not have – what makes this area special?
I was born and raised here and have not done traveling off, but our area is very special because there’s nothing like it, it has history and nature that other parts of the country don’t and it’s what I know and love. A lot of people who I went to school with hated this area, but I see there are a lot of beautiful things about this area – you just really need to really look around!
Is there anything I haven’t asked that you would like to mention to our audience?
Visit me on Zach Neven | Photographer & Artist
Or my facebook page: Zach Neven | Facebook