BY ADAM BLANCHARD
Art Major Kayden Nelson creates large-scale sculptures and experiments in photographic styles at SUNY Plattsburgh. From Potsdam, Nelson’s first exposure to art was tattooing.
Nelson said he practiced small tattoos on various parts of his body, but his largest tattoo is his last name on his leg, an eight hour long process.
“It wasn’t that painful,” Nelson said. “It was more painful in the way that I was sitting trying to do it.”
Nelson didn’t start off as an art major in college. He attributes his change in major to Adjunct Lecturer of Photography Sheri DuMont.
“I was an early childhood education major with an interdisciplinary concentration, so I took a little bit of everything,” Nelson said. “I took intro to photography and intro to sculpture and I found that I really liked both of those classes.”
When working on sculptures, Nelson’s go-to material is metal. Nelson said he prefers not to treat metal as he enjoys the look rust gives his pieces over time. He uses the medium to tackle wildlife conservation issues.
Nelson said he enjoys creating large-scale animals as his subjects of sculpture. Last semester, Nelson created a sea turtle to draw attention to water pollution. He sources inspiration from within rather than looking at other artists.
“I see an animal or something that I’m super interested in and then I just try to put a vision together and make that vision come true,” Nelson said.
Nelson’s photographic style is loose as he is still experimenting. He said he’s done astrophotography and still lifes and is working on self-portraiture for his current series.
Nelson has worked as a lab technician in the photography department. He maintains the photo studio, keeps the digital lab clean and mixes chemicals for developing photos and film. Nelson said he became a lab technician to gain more experience and understand photographic processes such as printing photos.
Nelson has had work in multiple exhibitions such as the Saratoga Arts, SUNY Plattsburgh’s Studio Select and the Downtown Artist Cellar’s Student Takeover in Malone. Currently, Nelson has a sculpture and an astrophotography series displayed in the Myers Lobby Gallery.
Being in his junior year, Nelson said he hasn’t thought about the specifics of what he will do after graduation. He said he hopes to keep creating art.
“Ideally, I’d like to make more art in the sense of conservation,” Nelson said. “If that’s not an option, I’d like to end up being a professor of some sort of art, whether it’s sculpture or photography.”
Nelson said he hopes that people remember the importance of art and how it serves to give a different perspective.
“Whether it’s something as little or as big as pollution, which goes unnoticed oftentimes and it’s such a part of society,” Nelson said. “It’s just more about bringing change.”
