Nagatani/Tracey | Susan Spiritus Gallery

Collaborations

Nagatani / Tracey Polaroid Collaborations (1983-89)The collaboration began in 1983 when Nagatani was offered 2 days use of a 20” x 24” Polaroid camera. He was a photographer, Andrée Tracey was painter and they occupied studios in the same Los Angeles building. Tracey’s sensibilities coalesced with Nagatani’s ideas and set design experience, and with this alliance, their collaboration was launched. Using aspects of photography, painting, installation, and performance. Working in a theatrical way we expanded the boundaries of large format Polaroid 20X24 photography. The recurring theme through much of this work is the threat, the chaos, and the consequences surrounding a nuclear episode. Both artists appear as actors in elaborately constructed and intensely colored images which are peppered with irony and humor despite the darkness that the work forecasts.

Collaboration

About Collaboration – by Patrick Nagatani

Obviously there must be some advantage in dual authorship of artwork, as we had been working together for six years, which is rather unique considering that visual art has always had the reputation of being a highly personal and individual endeavor.

We had experienced certain losses and gains during the democracy of our collaboration. Gone was the individual’s glorification of the expression of a personal psyche. Our egos had to take a backseat to the creation of work that is a product of two minds that in critical moments have been willing to concede to another’s ideas, sometimes in hesitation, but always with the belief that the work will be enhanced in general. So the work had become more important than our personal will, a humbling experience at times.

In addition to the release of individual authorship, the collaboration brought together not only two different personalities, but also two different cultures and two different genders (The phrase “Battle of the Sexes” has taken on new meaning.). Andree as a painter and me as a photographer added to the wonderful collaborative mix. All of these factors had proven to be catalysts for divergent thinking on the part of both of us.

The harmonious aspects of the collaboration were enhanced by an eleven year friendship, in which mutual respect and consideration carried us beyond any differences that may have come up. There were times when we worked in perfect sync. Never having to speak thoughts or direct each other’s actions because we were thinking and working as one. Then there were times when our moods and energy levels fluctuated wildly, but this was advantageous as we could uplift the other when the need arouse.

We found that working collaboratively enabled us to expend our artistic capabilities to conceptualize work that addresses issues of social concern. The most critical being the nuclear devastation of our planet. “Two heads are better than one,” seemed a good philosophy for the continuation of work that we hoped carry a message of social importance.

It was an artistic “marriage” and we had long decided that when our ideas and product got repetitive that it was time to end the collaboration. That essentially happened in 1989. We remained friends.

As a sad note to add, y friend Patrick Nagatani passed away in 2017.