Brittany Nelson’s work appropriates and distorts processes from 19th century photography to question representation and photographic ideal. In chemically manipulating traditional photographic techniques, she causes unprecedented reactions in the materials which result in abstract imagery. Nelson draws on research into science fiction, technological utopias, spaceflight, and time travel, eschewing the nostalgia of resuscitating photographic procedures. 

CURRICULUM VITAE
Born 1984, Great Falls, MT
lives and works between New York, NY and Richmond, VA.

EDUCATION
2011
MFA, Photography, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2007
BA, Photography, Minor, Philosophy, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT

SELECTED SOLO AND TWO PERSON EXHIBITIONS
2025
To Leave Is To Return, Quartz Studio, Turin, Italy (forthcoming) 

2024
I can’t make you love me, PATRON, Chicago, IL
Joanne Leonard and Brittany Nelson, Luring Augustine, New York, NY 

2022
Meet Me at Infinity, Fotogalleriet, Oslo, Norway
I Wish I Had a Dark Sea, Saint-Fons Art Center, Saint-Fons, France

2021
Beam Us Home, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, VA

2020
The Starry Rift, curated by Stefanie Hessler, Die Ecke, Santiago, Chile

2019
10,000 Light Years From Home, PATRON, Chicago, IL

2018
Warm Worlds and Otherwise, Harnett Museum of Art, Richmond, VA (two person exhibition, performance and sound installation by Danishta Rivero. Accompanying publication)
Science Fictions, curated by Nicole Kaack, Crush Curatorial, New York, NY (two person exhibition with Gabriela Vainsencher, accompanying publication)

2017
Conjectures In A Related Field, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, VA
Monuments, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA

2016
The Year I Make Contact, Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York, NY
Controller, PATRON, Chicago, IL
Alternative Process, David Klein Gallery, Detroit, MI
Monuments to the Conquerors of Space, Sadie Halie Projects, Minneapolis, MN (accompanying publication)

2013
Science, David Klein Gallery, Birmingham, MI (catalog published)

2009
Shadow Box, Waller-Yablonsky Gallery, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT

SELECTED GROUP EXHIBITIONS
2024
Taking Root Among the Stars, W139, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
Milky Way Tour, Museum of Contemporary Art Kiasma, Helsinki, Finland 
Tiptoeing Through the Kitchen, Recent Photography, Luhring Augustine, New York, NY

2023
Boundless, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, VA

2022 
The Future Is, Trondheim Kunstmuseum, Trondheim, Norway
Everything Else, David Klein Gallery, Detroit, MI
XX, Morgan Lehman Gallery, New York, NY

2021
EVERYWHERE AND HERE: Artists Respond to the Yale Peabody Museum of Natural History Collection, Peabody Museum at Yale University and Artspace New Haven, curated by Lisa Dent, New Haven, CT
With Eyes Opened: Cranbrook Academy of Art Since 1932, curated by Andrew Blauvelt, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2020
Shapeshifters: Abstraction and Representation in Contemporary Art, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
An Infinite and Omnivorous Sky, University Galleries, Illinois State University, Normal, IL

2019
Urania, curated by Zoë De Luca, Sonnenstube, Lugano, Switzerland
Cosmological Arrow, curated by Caroline Elgh, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden
Parallels and Peripheries, curated by Larry Ossei-Mensah, Museum of Contemporary Art Detroit, Detroit, MI
Pulled In Brooklyn, International Print Center New York, curated by Roberta Waddell and Samantha Rippner, New York, NY

2018
Light Followed the Flight of Sound, Candela Gallery, Richmond, VA

2017
Unfamiliar Again: Contemporary Women Abstractionists, Newcomb Art Museum, New Orleans, LA
New Geometry, Susquehanna Art Museum, Harrisburg, PA
Out of the Ether, True/False Film Festival with Sager Braudis Gallery, Columbia, MO

2016
New Photography: Next Wave Art, curated by Holly Shen, Brooklyn Academy of Music, Brooklyn, NY
Surface of Things, Houston Center of Photography, Houston, TX
Rock Candy, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, VA

2015
Cranbrook Salon, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Old School/New Rules, Iridian Gallery, LGBTQ Center, Richmond, VA
First Show, David Klein Gallery, Detroit, MI
Dog Days, Reynolds Gallery, Richmond, VA

2014
Breaking Ground: Contemporary Photography at William and Mary, Andrews Gallery, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA (catalog published)
Ficciones Typografika, curated by Erik Brandt, Minneapolis, MN
From The Collection, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM

2012
Light and Color, Cranbrook Art Museum with Cranbrook Science Museum, traveling exhibition, Bloomfield Hills, MI (commission)
Visweek, Data Visualization Conference, curated by Lauren Thorson, Seattle, WA (accompanying publication)
Ficciones Typografika, curated by Erik Brandt, Minneapolis, MN
Modular 22, 22 Gallery, Berwyn, Chicago
Faculty Exhibition, College of Visual Arts, St. Paul, MN

2011
No Object Is An Island: New Dialogues with the Cranbrook Collection, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI (catalog published
Liz Cohen, Brittany Nelson, Lauren Semivan, David Klein Gallery, Birmingham, MI
Click 646, Greenwood Museum, Greenwood, SC
Here Here, Thesis Exhibition, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI (catalogue published)
Material Girl, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2010
Can I Live, Forum Gallery, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2009
Polaroid Showcase, Photoworks San Francisco, San Francisco, CA
Illumination, Baxter Gallery, Bozeman, MT

2005
Naked Negative, Emerson Cultural Center, Bozeman, MT

SCREENINGS
2024
Uncomputables: On Alien Intelligences and Cybernetics, e-flux Artist Cinema Series curated by Agnieszka Kurant

2022
I can hardly bear it when it is over, I can hardly bear it when it starts, curated by David Horvitz, Matsutake Gallery at Yvon Lambert, Paris, France

ARTIST BOOKS
2022
Meet Me At Infinity, Fotogalleriet, Oslo. New texts by Chus Martinez, Xiaoyu Weng, Antonio Cataldo, and original text-based artwork with new introduction from Himali Singh Soin.

2019
Out of the Everywhere, Mousse Publishing, Milan Italy. Edited by Stefanie Hessler, new texts from Lars Bang Larsen, Quinn Latimer, Stefanie Hessler, script by Gordon Hall, with original artworks Danielle Dean, Gala Porras Kim. Designed by Lauren Thorson of Studio-Set.

2018
Monuments, risograph printed publication, edition of 100, published by Small Editions, New York, NY

2017
Monuments to the Conquerors of Space, Halochrome and Gelatin Silver prints bound in a sculptural book, Edition of 3, published by Small Editions, New York, NY

GRANTS, RESIDENCIES AND AWARDS
2023
Alumni Achievement Award, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT
C/O Berlin, Ulrike Crespo Photography Prize nomination, Berlin, Germany
Magnum Foundation HEAT Fellowship, nomination, New York, NY

2021
SETI Institute, Artist in Residence, Mountain View, CA

2017
Headlands Center for the Arts, Artist in Residence, Sausalito, CA

2016
Theo Westenberger Foundation Grant, New York. NY
Teton Art Lab, Artist in Residence, Jackson, WY

2015
Creative Capital Foundation Grant, Visual Arts, New York, NY
Phoenix Art Museum, Stacy Zuber Photography Award, Juror’s Choice Mention, Phoenix, AZ

2013
Faculty Grant, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
Minneapolis Institute of Art and Site Santa Fe, Collector’s Tour, Invited Artist, Minneapolis, MN

2012
The Print Center, Fish/Pearce Award For Excellence in Process Based Work, Philadelphia, PA
Vermont Studio Center, Artist in Residence, Johnson, VT

2011
Cranbrook Academy of Art Director’s Award, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Collections Purchase, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Mercedes Benz Emerging Artist Award, finalist and nominee for the Department of Photography, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2010
Merit Scholarship, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI

2007
Merit Scholarship, Montana State University, Department of Photography, Bozeman, MT

SELECTED LECTURES, PANELS AND EVENTS
2023     
Panelist, “Habitability on Earth and Beyond,” with Kennda Lynch, Lunar and Planetary Institute; Franck
Marchis, SETI Institute and Unistellar; Sofia Sheikh, SETI Institute; SXSW Conference, Austin, TX, 
Visiting Artist Studio Visit, Parsons, The New School, New York, NY

2022     
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Oslo Fotokunstskole, Oslo, Norway

2021
Visiting Artist, Graduate Studies Department, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA, February 15
Visiting critic, Experimental Feminisms with professor Julietta Singh, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA, January 12
Panel discussion with Laura Wexler, Professor of American Studies and Women’s, Gender, and Sexuality Studies, Yale University
Interview with Bettina Forget, SETI Foundation, SETI Live: 10,000 Light Years From Home, live stream

2020
Guest artist lecture, undergraduate photography, Trondheim Academy of Fine Art, NTNU, Trondheim, Norway, September 25
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Graduate Studies, Photography, Parsons, The New School, New York, June 15-16
Visiting Artist, Graduate Studies Department, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA, February 5

2019
Panel Discussion and book launch for “Out Of The Everywhere” with Miguel Lopez and Stefanie Hessler, Casa Canibal, Spanish Culturual Institute, San Jose, Costa Rica
Panel discussion and book signing, Out Of The Everywhere, with Stefanie Hessler and Lauren Thorson, Institute for Contemporary Art at VCU, Richmond, VA 
Book signing, Out Of The Everywhere, published and sponsored by Mousse Publishing, New York Art
Book Fair, MoMA PS1, New York, NY
Guest Lecturer, California College of the Arts, San Francisco, CA
Juror and Visiting Critic, “2, 3 and 4 Dimensional Photography: Alternatives Photography Biennial,” University of Ohio Art Galleries, Athens, Ohio

2018
Fall Lecture Series, sponsored by the Photography Department, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI, November 29
Book signing, Monuments, published by Small Editions, New York Art Book Fair, MoMA PS1, New York, NY (event)

2017
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Graduate Department of Glass, Rhode Island School of Design, Providence, Rhode Island, September 20
Panel Discussion, “Contemporary Women Abstractionists,” Amy Ellingson, Brittany Nelson, Anne Vieux, moderated by Monica Ramirez Montagut, Newcomb Art Museum, New Orleans, LA, September 6
Distinguished Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Graduate Studies, SUNY New Paltz, New Paltz, NY, February 1
Artist Lecture, College of William and Mary, Williamsburg, VA, February 9

2016
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Department of Media Arts and Graduate Studies, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN, September 22
Visiting Artist Lecture Series, Graduate Studies, Photography, Parsons, The New School, New York , NY, June 16
Artist in Residence Lecture, Teton ArtLab, Jackson, WY, July 14
Invited Speaker, “Science Fiction,” Constructed Realities, Society for Photographic Education National Conference, Las Vegas NV, March 12
Visiting Assistant Professor Lecture, Department of Art Foundations, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA, February
Video feature and interview, Creative Capital Foundation, New York, NY, online
Video feature and interview, GalleryLOG, New York, NY, online

2015
Visiting Artist Lecture, Graduate Studies, Photography, Cranbrook Academy of Art, Bloomfield Hills, MI, September 17

2014
Invited Speaker, “Science,” Southeast Regional Conference, Society for Photographic Education, Greenville, NC, October 11
Invited Speaker, “Things I Hate,” Department of Art, New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM, April 10

BIBLIOGRAPHY / SELECTED PUBLISHING, REVIEWS, CATALOGUES, PRESS
2024
Paloma Baygual, “In Her Latest Exhibition, Brittany Nelson Searches For Connection Everywhere From Mars to Montana”, Cultured, February 7, online
Susan Aurinko, “Love, Fiction and Deep Space: A Review of Brittany Nelson at Patron”, New City Art, online

2023     
Kendra Paitz, “An Infinite and Omnivorous Sky,” An Infinite and Omnivorous Sky, catalog, University Galleries of Illinois State University, pgs 13-14, 66-67, 94-95
 
2022     
Lara Schoorl, “Brittany Nelson: Meet Me At Infinity,” Camera Austria International, review, issue 160, pg 78-79
Michel Poivert , “Brittany Nelson,” Contre-culture dans la photographie contemporaine (Counter Culture in Contemporary Photography), Éditions Textuel, Paris, France
“Brittany Nelson ‘I Wish I Had A Dark Sea’ at CAP – Centre d’arts plastiques de Saint Fons, Lyon,” Mousse Magazine, review, May 16, online
Christina Z. Anderson “Brittany Nelson”, The Experimental Darkroom, Contemporary Uses of Traditional Black and White Photographic Materials, Routledge, New York, NY, chapter 18
 
2020     
Kathryn Goffnet, “Brittany Nelson”, With Eyes Opened: Cranbrook Academy of Art Since 1932, edited by Andrew Blauvelt, Cranbrook Art Museum, pg 430-431

2019
Lauren DeLand, “For Artist Brittany Nelson, Space is a Queer, Lonely Place”, Frieze Magazine, August
Jeremy Lybarger, “Brittany Nelson Puts a Sci-Fi Spin on Closeted Gay Life”, Art in America, August
Caroline Elgh, “Science Fiction as a Mirror of our Times and Imaginary Laboratory”, Kosmologiska Pillar
(Cosmological Arrows), catalog, Bonniers Konsthall, Stockholm, Sweden, pgs 13, 19, 94 – 101. 

2018
The Focal Press Companion to the Constructed Image In Contemporary Photography, Focal Press Books, edited by Anne Leighton Massoni and Marni Shindelman, October
Stefanie Hessler, “Warm Worlds and Otherwise”, Joel and Lila Harnett Museum of Art, publication essay, October 4
As Author, “An Argument Towards Abstraction Outlined by Stanislaw Lem’s Solaris”, Parsons Thesis Catalogue, Parsons The New School, New York, NY, commissioned essay, September
Nicole Kaack, “Brittany Nelson”, Science Fictions, Crush Curatorial, New York, NY (essay an limited edition exhibition publication)
Light Followed the Flight of Sound, participating artist, One Day Projects, edited by Eliot Dudik and Jared Ragland, (limited edition artist book)

2016
Clare DeGalan, “Brittany Nelson and Susan Campbell at David Klein Gallery,” Detroit Art Review, November, 20, online, (review)
Kate Hadley Toftness, “Mika Horibuchi and Brittany Nelson at Patron,” New Art Examiner, Volume 31 No. 1, September/October, print, pp 29-30 (review)
Vince Aletti, “Brittany Nelson,” The New Yorker, February 8 and 15, Anniversary Issue, print (review)
Brian Fee, “Interview with Brittany Nelson, Exhibiting with Morgan Lehman Gallery.” Aesthetica Magazine, February 28, online, (interview)
Jean Dykstra, “Chemical Peel: Brittany Nelson at Morgan Lehman Gallery, NYC,” BurnAway, February 1, online, (review)
Taylor Glascock, “Developing Photos Is Way More Fun If It’s Kinda Dangerous,” Wired, January 21, online, (interview)
Loring Knoblauch, “Brittany Nelson: The Year I Make Contact at Morgan Lehman,” Collector Daily, January 21, online
Fernando Sandoval, “Brittany Nelson at Morgan Lehman Gallery,” Musée, January 13, online
Alex Tiplitzky, “Brittany Nelson Upends Tradition by Misusing Dangerous Photographic Processes,” Creative Capital Foundation, blog, (interview).

2015
Paddy Johnson, “This Week’s Must See Events,” Art F City, January 4, online
Paddy Johnson, “Creative Capital Artist Retreat Highlights, Narcissister, Brittany Nelson, Lorraine O’Grady,” Art F City, August 7, online
Eliot Dudik, “Brittany Nelson: The States Project: Virginia,” Lenscratch, online, (interview)
Jet Fuel Review, Lewis University, Chicago, IL, Fall Issue #10, p 108

2014
Handcrafted: The Art and Practice of the Handmade Print, edited by Christina Z. Anderson, Sandy King, Sam Wang, Zhong Jiangming, Zhejiang Province Arts Publishing, China, pp 148 - 155
Breaking Ground: Contemporary Photography at William and Mary, edited by Eliot Dudik, College of William and Mary, (catalogue)
Inga Shun, “A New Science: Studio Visit with Brittany Nelson,” Richmond Arts Review, September, online, (interview)
“Ficciones Typografika,” curated by Erik Brandt, ID Pure Magazine, Zurich, Switzerland, Issue 34

2013
Stephanie Buhmann, “Brittany Nelson: The Science Series,” Science, David Klein Gallery, Birmingham, MI (catalogue)
Christina Z. Anderson, Gum Printing and Other Amazing Contact Printing Processes, p 35
Jet Fuel Review, Lewis University, Chicago, IL, Spring Issue #5, print

2012
Christina Z. Anderson, Experimental Photography Workbook: A Manual of Analog Black and White Darkroom Practice, p 185
Lauren Thorson, “Brittany Nelson,” VisWeek Data Visualization Conference Art Exhibition, Seattle, WA, (publication)

2011
Sarah Turner, “On Process… ,” No Object Is An Island: Dialogues with the Cranbrook Collection, edited by Gregory Whittkopp, Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI, pp 117, 129, (catalogue)
“Here Here,” Cranbrook Academy of Art, Thesis Exhibition (catalogue)

PUBLIC COLLECTIONS
Trondheim Kunstmuseum, Trondheim, Norway
Nasher Museum of Art, Durham, NC
Cranbrook Art Museum, Bloomfield Hills, MI
Virginia Museum of Fine Art, Richmond, VA
Candela Gallery Collection, Richmond, VA
New Mexico State University, Las Cruces, NM
Numerous private collection

LIBRARY COLLECTIONS
Museum of Modern Art, MoMA Archives and Library, New York, NY
The Center for Book Arts, Fine Art Collection, New York, NY
Tucker Boatwright Library, Special Collections, University of Richmond, Richmond, VA
University of Colorado Boulder Libraries, Special Collections, Boulder, CO

ACADEMIC APPOINTMENTS
2017 - Present Assistant Professor of Photography, University of Richmond, Richmond VA
2017 Affiliated Faculty, Master’s Program, Photography and Film, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2016 - 2017 Visiting Assistant Professor, full-time term appointment, Foundations Department, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2013 - 2016 Guest Lecturer, Graphic Design Department, Adjunct Faculty, Photography and Film, Virginia Commonwealth University, Richmond, VA
2012 - 2013 Adjunct Professor, Department of Media Arts, Department of Design, Minneapolis College of Art and Design, Minneapolis, MN
2012 - 2013 Adjunct Professor, Department of Photography, College of Visual Arts, St. Paul, MN
2008 - 2009 Adjunct Professor, Department of Photography, Montana State University, Bozeman, MT