Steve Nelson

Retired Faculty
616.395.7503nelson@hope.edu
Profile photo of Steve Nelson

Steve Nelson began teaching at photography in the Department of Art and Art History at Hope College in 1989.  Currently he is also serving as the preparator to the De Pree Art Center gallery where he installs exhibitions throughout the year, from guest artists' to student shows.

Area of Specialty

Steve specializes in landscape photography focusing on themes related to post-industrial environments from mining, manufacturing and maritime sources.

His photographs have been exhibited in various gallery and site-specific environments including abandoned manufacturing spaces.

“My images probe the unconscious desire to search for clarity and understanding. Photography mirrors the process of this search. Images form a bridge between what was experienced and the memory of that experience through our subconscious thoughts. Within this search, questions arise about what is found. Where does the image exist — simultaneously before us, seen with our eyes, is it both received and remembered? What lies between the conscious and subconscious where moments of clarity and wakefulness are surrounded by doubt and uncertainty? It is the spaces within and between these moments that I seek to record in my photographs.”

  • Black and white photograph of two boats docked in a frozen, snow-covered industrial area. The image is framed with a dark vignette and features large industrial buildings on the right and a long fence on the left, creating a stark, post-industrial landscape.
  • A black and white photograph taken from within an industrial control room, showcasing a central control panel with a lever and a circular instrument. The room features large windows providing a view of an industrial landscape outside.
  • A black and white photograph of two boats docked side by side in a harbor at dusk. The image has a vignette effect, with the edges fading to black, emphasizing the central focus on the boats. In the background, industrial buildings and structures are faintly visible along the shoreline. The water appears calm, and the overall atmosphere is serene and somewhat melancholic.
  • A black and white photograph taken from inside an industrial workspace, showing a cluttered desk with papers, a lamp, and a bottle of Windex. Through the window, an industrial waterfront with bridges and boats is visible in the background.
  • Black and white photograph of a snow-covered, post-industrial landscape featuring an abandoned, docked boat and barren trees. The scene is viewed through a circular vignette, creating a tunnel vision effect.
  • Black and white photograph taken inside an industrial control room, with a jacket hanging by the door and life vests on a bench. The door is open, revealing an exterior view of large, tall industrial silos. The image captures a post-industrial environment, focusing on the remnants of manufacturing structures.
  • A black and white photograph by Steve Nelson showing boats docked at a snowy, post-industrial waterfront with overcast skies. The image is captured through a circular lens, creating a vignette effect around the edges.
  • Interior view of an industrial control room overlooking a body of water, with electrical panels, wiring, and machinery visible against a backdrop of an industrial landscape outside the windows.
  • Black and white photograph of a tugboat docked at an industrial waterfront, with a cityscape and factory buildings in the distant background. The image has a vignette effect with darkened edges, emphasizing the central subject.

Education

  • MFA, art media studies, Syracuse University, 1985
  • BFA, photography, Western Michigan University, 1982

Grants

  • New York Artist Space Grants, Individual Support Grant
  • Michigan Council for the Art and Cultural Affairs, Creative Artist Grant

Exhibitions

  • “Gardens of Industry,” one-person exhibition, Pierce Cedar Creek Institute, Hastings, Michigan, 2017
  • “Ripple Effect,” two-person exhibition, Kendall College of Art and Design, 2016
  • “After Operations,” one-person exhibition, Plainwell Paper Mill, Michigan, 2015
  • “Site:Lab,” group invitational, Morton House, Grand Rapids, Michigan (ArtPrize Best Venue Award), 2014
  • “Defining Michigan,” group invitational, Muskegon Museum of Art, Muskegon Michigan, 2014
  • ArtPrize,” 45 Ottawa, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2010
  • “Simultaneity,” one-person exhibition, Aquinas College, Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2007

Published Work

Profile photo of Steve Nelson
Steve Nelson

Phone Number616.395.7503

Retired Faculty
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