2023 Merit Scholarship Recipient: Nicholas C. Lents

Describe the work you submitted for merits.

The work samples that I submitted for merits are just a brief example of my photographic practice spanning multiple formats and modes of thinking. My merit installation showed two bodies of work; the first called Dropped Connections and the second called Everything the Old Country Has Forgotten and Nothing the New Country Has Seen Before.

Dropped Connections is a photographic interrogation of modern life juxtaposed against the US railways. As much as modernity represents the widespread embracing of new forms and expressions of self, we still find ourselves unable to leave the past entirely behind. This body of work allows the viewer to seek out their own experience and form their own connections between pieces. In this way, it encourages reflection about the way modern mechanical and technological infrastructure—these "connectors''—influence and sometimes overcrowd each of our social and personal lives

Though I am ethnically Armenian, I was born in Russia and adopted and raised in St. Paul, Minnesota. This afforded me little opportunity to establish connections and maintain ties to my ethnic community. After the Armenian genocide of 1915-1917, the Armenians were dispersed, and small but vibrant communities of Armenian people settled across the United States. In Everything the Old Country Has Forgotten and Nothing the New Country Has Seen Before, I create portraiture of individual people within the Armenian diasporic community to illustrate the diverse means by which Armenian people embrace their culture and share it with others. Making these portraits allows me to portray for the viewer aspects o Armenian-American culture which may sometimes be overshadowed by discussion of the genocide. By doing so I can negotiate for myself the process of rejoining a community after a period of alienation, and interrogate the meaning of belonging and identity for those displaced from their community, as well as the role that art can take in bridging those gaps.

Why did you decide to come to MCAD?

Stuck in a creative rut while obtaining my Bachelor of Arts in Global Studies at Hamline University, I decided to transfer to MCAD to further refine my photographic practice. I started to focus my studies on examining and deepening my knowledge of the technical components of a digital camera, photo studio, and composition both artistic and practical while familiarizing myself with the intricacies of the industry to forge a path in which I can set myself apart. But, my interest in photography developed beyond the technical, and I realized that I could go further and that my photographic practice can span multiple formats and modes of thinking. Now, I am focused on fine details and the in-between spaces, the subtleties of repeating patterns, the political undertones of the history of a city’s architecture, and the documentation of underrepresented identities and diasporic communities, all revealing subtle stories of beauty amidst precarity.

What are your plans for your senior year? And beyond?

I am currently a studio hand and photographer at Blu Dot and MCAD and will continue to work in these areas beyond graduation. I plan to apply for many grants, fellowships, and institutional opportunities to support my artistic practice.

Favorite thing about college life (so far)?

The opportunities for deep collaborative work and support of one another, especially the photography majors, the best group of students at MCAD.

What inspires you? 

Other artists' work. I could spend hours poring through photo books or walking through photo installations with my partner and talking about how the photography we consume works as a piece of art.

Do you have a favorite piece you've made? Describe it!

I really love some of the architectural photos that I've taken around Minneapolis but I haven't quite massaged them into a cohesive series yet.

Anything you're obsessed with at the moment? 

I just finished watching Poker Face, a mystery series on Peacock with Natasha Lyonne. She has the psychic ability to tell when anyone is lying, and I was obsessed with her character. Can't wait for season 2!

What’s your favorite format of photography and what is your favorite photographic style?

I enjoy medium format to large format photography whether it's a digital camera, such as the Hasselblad X1D, or an analog camera such as a 4x5 or 8x10. The painterly qualities that come from the form factor and the slow, hands-on practice bring a calmness and focus to my process. I am a documentary photographer in its purist sense, but I am not afraid to experiment.