Andy Katz, and the Luxury of Looking Slowly
This Wednesday, we hosted an encore of CraftWork Conversations: Andy Katz, and it felt only right to pause and offer a proper note of appreciation. The past two events were filled with laughter, art, and just the right amount of indulgence - Aperture Cellars joined us for the first evening, DaVero Farms and Winery for the second, and the atmosphere settled into something rare and generous. At one point, Andy smiled and said, “Have another glass of wine - my stories will be even better after it!” He wasn’t wrong.
We hope Andy will forgive our iPhone “artwork.” Blame the artist.
Working with Andy was a quiet luxury. You don’t often get time with someone like him. If you’re wondering who Andy is - well, you would have known had you been at either of the sold-out evenings. Andy Katz is a mastodon of sorts, a true heavyweight of the craft. He began deep in the analog era, lived through the shift to digital, became the first Sony Artisan of Imagery, exhibited across the U.S. and abroad, worked with embassies, presented to presidents and prime ministers, and - somehow - found his way to spend two evenings with us here in Healdsburg. People like that have a particular gravity. They make you want to be there; to listen, to breathe, to experience. We’re proud of that moment in time - it was a genuine pleasure.
Big photographers are shaped by time, patience, and obsession. They learn by failing, waiting, and standing in the wrong light - again and again. Their work comes from years of looking, from training the eye to see what others pass by. But these days, life moves fast. Attention spans are short, and we rarely linger long enough to truly see. In the age of AI, images are instant and infinite - what once took a lifetime can now be made in seconds. And that, perhaps, is why figures like Andy won’t happen again.
A three-year journey in a four-wheeled camper marked the most fulfilling project of Andy’s lifetime. In 2020, amidst the chaos of COVID-19, he embarked on a new adventure in photography, capturing the beauty of 63 stunning U.S. National Parks. This project, a labor of love, was born from the desire to slow down and honor nature’s grandeur.
Andy’s showcase at CraftWork wraps up in February, which means there’s still time to come by and spend a little while with his photographs. He’s also staying local - after moving to Healdsburg three months ago, he mentioned he’s thinking of staying, and we can’t blame him. You’ll spot him at CraftWork from time to time, working beside his enormous printer, hypnotizing it into cooperation, as the rest of us hover nearby. His books are still available for purchase, too - we’ve have a QR code by the registration desk if you’d like a signed copy, or you can order one online.
More about Andy, his art, and his prints - including his latest book, A Walk in the Park - is available via the link.