Nick Denning
Solas Studio: Flatiron
117 East 24th Street, New York, NY
March, 2026 By Appointment Only*
*Opening Reception: Wednesday, March 4th, 6:30 to 8:30pm
*Closing Reception: Wednesday, March 25th, 6:30 to 8:30pm
Nick Denning & Solas Studio present a special solo exhibition of photography taken and processed entirely on the iPhone. In 2009 Artist Jorge Columbo made history with the first major magazine cover to be created entirely on a mobile telephone. Columbo used the simplistic “Brushes” app to remind us that it’s not the tools we use but the impact our art has on the viewer that really matters. Nick’s stunning body of images were captured and edited with the same tool you may be reading this on right now. His work shows us what is possible when we stop worrying about having the biggest and best equipment. It focuses on the subject, the raw image and the art itself. Join us in celebrating his achievements and dedication to a craft that is as accessible as it is hard to truly master. Nick Denning is one of Solas Studio’s founding members, a successful actor and an adept film photographer.
Statement:
My intention is to bring iPhone photography from Instagram into the gallery space. From its inception, iPhone photography has been seen as an unworthy substitute to the industry standard. What a phone camera is capable of is not the same as what a 35mm DSLR camera is capable of. I’m not here to argue that it is.
My point is, SO WHAT? I’m not trying to do the same thing, or take the same picture. Artists have always used what is available to them at any given time. In my career as an Actor/Stand-In/Extra, the iPhone has given me the creative outlet I crave without sacrificing extra cost or time. Instagram has provided an outlet allowing people to share art as well as motivation to do so. There was a similar debate years ago when film cameras were fading out to a new digital age...
My background consists of shooting and printing on film. Though it is not my medium anymore, I still deeply respect it, and those making a point to shoot with it. The challenge I face using an iPhone, is to adjust to its limitations and work within them. For the most part, I’m able to achieve the same goals I had with film. My work is personal, narrative, moody, sometimes funny, and maybe occasionally makes a statement. New York City is the subject matter I’m focusing on. The place of my birth, current residence, and personal dysfunctional Mecca. I want the viewer to see and experience this city how I do, and ultimately see who I am. -Not just focus on the fact that they’re shot on iPhones… #lol - Nick Denning
