November 14, 2026 through December 12, 2026

Loren Nelson • Urban Archives

Urban Archives opens with and artist’s reception on Saturday, November 14 from 4-7pm. Please join us!

When I started organizing the world on the frosted glass of my Deardorff 4X5 view camera in 1974, I was determined that every fine-art photograph I made would be shot with that camera and black-and-white film and printed by me in my darkroom. But in 2016, life changed, and downsizing eased me into the digital world, where I began processing my images on a computer screen, burning and dodging in Photoshop. I also came to see that some photographs were better in color. At first, my subject matter was mostly landscapes, seascapes, flowers, and natural details, but close-up abstract images in color began to captivate me, as did the freedom and spontaneity of photographing with a Nikon digital camera and an iPhone.    

I stumble onto many of my favorite photography projects by accident, and Urban Archives is a good example. When I stopped to photograph layers of torn posters on a building, I spotted a nearby wooden power pole festooned with layers, as much a sculpture as a collage; delicate leaves of announcements hang from an infrastructure of wood and staples. As venues to advertise your band’s upcoming gig, your yard sale, your poetry reading, your CD release party, your offer of services, or a search for a lost pet, these beacons of communication seem as important as a Facebook or Instagram post. As curious as I am about the words and messages buried within the layers, I admire the patina and form time and the elements have imparted. I’m fascinated by this treasure trove of faded records of past events, and I invite you to be fascinated, too.

I photographed the images in Urban Archives with my iPhone 16, processed them in Photoshop, and printed them on Moab Juniper Fine-Art paper using archival pigment inks. Prints are available in editions of 20 in a variety of sizes, from 14X11 to 20X16 and larger.

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