Laurel Nakadate facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Laurel Nakadate
Laurel Nakadate, 2012
Born	1975 (age 49–50) Austin, Texas, United States
Alma mater	School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, Yale University
Known for	photography, video, film

Laurel Nakadate (born 1975) is an American artist. She creates videos, films, and photographs. She is known for exploring how people connect and express themselves. Laurel Nakadate lives and works in New York City.

About Laurel Nakadate

Laurel Nakadate was born in 1975 in Austin, Texas. She grew up in Ames, Iowa.

Her Education

She studied art at two well-known universities. In 1998, she earned her first degree from Tufts University. This included studies at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. Later, in 2001, she earned a master's degree in photography. She received this from Yale University.

Where Her Art Is Shown

Laurel Nakadate's art is displayed in many famous museums. These include the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and the Whitney Museum of American Art. Her work is also at the Yale University Art Gallery. Other places include the LACMA and the Guggenheim Museum. The Saatchi Collection also owns some of her pieces.

In 2005, she had a special show called "Love Hotel and Other Stories." It was featured in major newspapers and art magazines. A famous art critic, Jerry Saltz, called her a "standout" artist.

Her art has been shown all over the world. This includes the Getty Museum in Los Angeles. It has also been seen at the Asia Society in New York. Her work was part of the Berlin Biennial. A big show of her art, Only the Lonely, was at MoMA PS1 in 2011.

Her Films

Laurel Nakadate has also made feature films. Her first film was Stay The Same Never Change. It was shown at the Sundance Film Festival in 2009. This festival is a big event for new movies. Her second film was The Wolf Knife. It premiered in 2010. This film was nominated for several awards.

Today, Laurel Nakadate lives in New York City. She also helps lead the graduate studies program at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.

What Her Art Is About

Laurel Nakadate's art often explores how people interact. She looks at how people show strength and how they connect. She often uses herself in her art. She records her meetings with people she doesn't know. Her work shows how surprising these chance meetings can be.

Exploring Connections

One of her early works was a film called Happy Birthday (2000). In this film, she invited three men to celebrate her birthday. The interesting part was that it wasn't her actual birthday. She also didn't know these men before. This film showed her interest in meeting strangers. It explored the unexpected feelings that can come from new connections. Through her art, she wants to show that she is in control of her own story.

Showing Strength

Two other important works are Beg For Your Life (2006) and Oops (2007). These pieces focus on ideas of control. Laurel Nakadate puts herself in challenging situations with men. She wants to show that women can be strong. She aims to show that she guides the story in these interactions.

She also worked with actor James Franco on a live performance. It was called Three Performances in Search of Tennessee (2011). Her newer photos, called Relations, explore her family history. She takes pictures of her distant relatives. Her film The Wolf Knife also looks at how people connect and share personal moments.

What People Say About Her Art

Laurel Nakadate's art has led to some discussions. Some people have wondered about how she interacts with strangers in her work. They have asked if she is "manipulating" them. However, an art gallery in New York, Leslie Tonkonow Artworks + Projects, explains her work differently. They say that everyone in her art is "acting." This idea is important to understand her unique artistic style.

Her Life Today

Laurel Nakadate lives in Brooklyn and Dutchess County. She is married to the writer Rick Moody.