Alchemy of the Night Sky

Photographer Jim Nickelson uses the stars and moon as his palette

The moon’s an arrant thief,

And her pale fire she snatches from the sun

—Timon of Athens, William Shakespeare

I was the shadow of the waxwing slain

By the false azure in the window pane;

I was the smudge of ashen fluff — and I

Lived on, flew on, in the reflected sky.

—Pale Fire, Vladimir Nabokov

long exposure photograph by photographer Jim Nickelson
Pale Fire, Canto One I
long exposure photograph by photographer Jim Nickelson
Pale Fire, Canto One III

Using photographs of the night sky as raw materials, I attempt to find order in the movement of celestial bodies, just as philosophers and scientists have for thousands of years, a quest for order and meaning that relates to music, numerology, our relationship to the universe, modern cosmology, and beyond.

long exposure photograph by photographer Jim Nickelson
Pale Fire, Canto One VII
long exposure photograph by photographer Jim Nickelson
Pale Fire, Canto One VIII
Inspired by Vladimir Nabokov’s masterful poem novel Pale Fire, I build each piece by combining my photographs of the stars and moon. Canto One of my Pale Fire is directly inspired by the first four lines of the poem.
—Jim Nickelson
long exposure photograph by photographer Jim Nickelson
Pale Fire, Canto One IX
long exposure photograph by photographer Jim Nickelson
Pale Fire, Canto One X

Jim Nickelson is a fine art photographer, custom digital printer, and teacher and is currently represented by Kingman Gallery in Deer Isle. He has made his home in Camden with his wife and daughter for the last 14 years. Before committing himself to the photographic life, he pursued the classic artistic career path of NASA engineer and corporate intellectual property attorney (with a B.S. in Aerospace Engineering from the University of Texas at Austin and a J.D. from Harvard Law School). His work resides in museum, public, corporate, and private collections across the United States and Canada.

long exposure photograph by photographer Jim Nickelson
Pale Fire, Canto One XII
long exposure photograph by photographer Jim Nickelson
Pale Fire, Canto One XIV

Jim Nickelson’s work, including his series Pale Fire, can be seen as part of Archipelago Fine Arts Gallery show “Our Maine,” on display in the gallery at 386 Main Street, Rockland, through August 2, or online at theArchipelago.net through December 31. “Our Maine” features five Maine photographers: Jim Nickelson, Olga Merrill, Josie Iselin, Lisa Mossel Vietze, and Terry Hire. All prints are available for sale. For more information visit theArchipelago.net.

2020