Nelson Chan

Can you share three life moments that shaped who you are today?

1. In the 5th grade, I remember making a drawing of something in art class. What ended up on paper was exactly what I had seen it in my head. Something cognitive manifested into something physical, and I had felt creativity for the first time.

2. As a young teen, I had been listening to bands like The Decendents, Face to Face, and The Gorilla Biscuits. The ethos and social politics of punk and hardcore were so instrumental to my early foundation as a human out in the world—I was thinking externally. However, it wasn’t until I listened to Texas Is the Reason’s debut (and only LP), Do You Know Who You Are?, that I began to think more internally and intuitively.

3. The Twin Towers came down during the first week of my freshman year. Once the George Washington Bridge re-opened for commuters, my close friend, Abdulai Sesay, my brother, Jesse, and I drove into the city to photograph New York City in turmoil. It was the first time I ever used a camera to help me make sense of the world around me. This experience was partly what solidified my decision to become a photographer.

What is something you had to learn the hard way?

Always make the effort to spend time with the ones you care about. Feeling too late is a brutal lesson to learn.

When was the last time you had a first-time experience? How did it go?

I had just published a new title for TIS books (Balarama Heller’s Sacred Place). We were on press and printed it in 7 colors, and it’s bonkers. It went well, and I can’t wait for everyone to see this in person.

Do you have a fav photo book?

Larry Sultan’s Pictures from Home. The photographs are measured and performative, yet still allow surprise. It’s not completely cinéma vérité, and now you can see Larry’s visual influence everywhere. The book is a masterpiece in storytelling. Katy Homans’ book design may seem a bit dated now, but I still love its avant-garde spirit with the use of full-bleeds, double-paged spreads, experimental large swaths of black, film-stills, and a weird anticlimactic gatefold. Not to mention his writing. It’s frustrating how good he was (go back and read about him photographing his mother’s grass-stained foot. It’ll break your heart). My personal opinion is that every photographer is envious of a good writer — maybe not if your name was Larry Sultan, though.

What’s the most recent thing you saw that blew your mind?

I just moved to Providence to teach photography at RISD, and there’s this massive stone carving in my neighborhood by MacArthur Fellow, Nicholas Benson, and it’s incredible. His grandfather was a famed professor at RISD, who designed the college’s seal, and his uncle was a MacArthur Fellow, photographer, and printer, Richard Benson, a hero of mine who was also my mentor’s mentor. What blew my mind wasn’t just the sculpture but feeling a connection to a legacy and lineage that I’m just brushing up alongside.

Describe one photo you have displayed somewhere in your home. What is it, who made it, and what do you like about it?

I have a framed 8×10 color contact print that my brother Jesse made. The photograph is a portrait of one of his best friends. She’s in the bluest of waters, and I think it was made either while he was in grad school or shortly after. It’s a great photograph. The composition is minimal and gives me a sense of calm. I am also comforted in knowing that the photograph was made with a lot of love and care between the photographer and sitter. Jesse is also a really good photographer, and I wouldn’t be doing what I’m doing now if he didn’t let me borrow his camera.

What’s one piece of advice someone gave you that you’ve found to be true?

I was the production manager for Aperture and had to go on press with Robert Hennessey to print Diane Arbus’s Box of 10. Robert told me that for duotone and tritone printing, it was crucial to spend the most amount of time on the 1st sheet that came out of the press. Once you get the ink densities dialed in at the beginning, the rest of the book should be much easier to print. I don’t just find this true while being on press, but also true in life. Take the time to set yourself up right, and things will hopefully start to fall into place.

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