“Urban Hues: PDX09″
I took a road trip up to Portland, Oregon in September. One of my main objectives was to shoot photos for my ongoing series, “Urban Hues”, which is a photographic study of color in the city.
Ol’ Stumptown made for a great subject, with a gorgeous mixture of brick architecture, vivid facades, raw street art and the lovely patina of urban decay.
I shot over 100 images, then edited like mad until arriving at the following collection. Enjoy!
“MINTBRICKS”
“TOW ZONE”
“REVOLT”
This was the first image I shot for the series and it seemed to get me started on the good foot. I like the urgent call to action by a tagger who is both idealistic AND artistic. Nice work, Young Man!
“EXIT”
This is one of my faves. There is just something sad about that lonely little “E” tucked away in the dank, urine-stained (yes, really) doorway. The sole survivor of a vicious attack or nasty accident.
“BIPARTISAN”
“CAPE COD”
This chilly color scheme made me think of a sea-battered shack on the east coast. Hence, the title.
“COONTAIL”
This one is just odd. A building had boarded up windows, and this one happened to have a hole with a log sticking out of it – Log Art! I’m not sure how well this fits with the rest, but I felt the need to include it.
“MOTEL”
I almost passed this one up. On the way to an appointment, I drove by the sign, ogled it, but kept driving. Half mile down the road, flipped a U-turn, knowing I would regret not shooting this awesome relic.
“EIGHTYSIX”
I love this shot! There was heavy sun glare on the viewfinder, so I quickly fired off two different angles. I didn’t even notice the ciggie butt until later, which turned out to be the perfect addition to this cool, minimalistic shot.
“YELLAPELLA”
The downtown warehouse district totally reminded me of Minneapolis. I love seeing old brick buildings with layers and layers of faded logos and advertisements painted right on the sides, from the days before billboards.
I’m in awe of the precision too. How did they do it? Freehand? Giant stencils? I wish the History Channel would do a story on this topic some day.
“RUSTIC”
I almost got run over shooting this one! I was in the street trying to line up the perfect shot and some guy in a Chevy Blazer was backing up, trying to park right where I was standing. But, I got it!
“B-CUP”
Seeing this cup reminded me of one of my fave shots from my San Francisco Urban Hues series, “EMPTY CUP”. So, I had to snap it as a recurring motif.
“FIREPLUG”
Curiously, the fire hydrants in Portland are orange instead of red, which made ‘em even more photogenic.
“GUTTERLEAF”
This shot captures the fragile, temporal nature of beauty. Plus, it’s a perfect dichotomy, which is a recurring theme in my work. Stopped in a random parking lot for a coffee break, noticed many a crimson leaf, snapped one shot on the way in – Bam – instant zen. Win!
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It’s exciting for me to see how this series evolves. Hopefully, I’ll get to do some more urban exploration this winter and stage a conceptual photo exhibit early next year.
My objective is to create a cohesive collection of visually compelling images that people want to hang on the walls of their home.
YOUR TURN:
I would love to hear your feedback on which images you could see working well in your space. Which is your ONE favorite? Which is your LEAST favorite?
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All photos are 20”x16” and available for purchase as framed or unframed prints. Please contact nikolasallenart@gmail.com for pricing and details.
Welcome to Nikolas Allen Art dot com. I am a Contemporary Pop Artist with a background in music, advertising and video production. 
Comments
Nik, cool stuff! it really makes you stop and enjoy the little details in everyday life…even if it’s just a little ciggy butt. I’m still trying to figure out Coontail, but it’s okay, I think I’ll be able to sleep tonight! Thanks for the inspiration Nik!!
Well, I’m an earthtone freak, so my fave was RUSTIC. #2 would be GUTTERLEAF.
BIPARTISAN thru COONTAIL are my least favorite colors. Wouldn’t put ‘em on my wall if YOU paid ME!
>> Christopher - HaHa! Thanks for the feedback. I’m with you on your faves. There’s something about “RUSTIC” that I can’t resist either.
And, “GUTTERLEAF” is a no-brainer. Instant classic.
I’ll keep your least faves in mind when editing for the gallery show as well!
>>Belinda - Good to hear from you! YES, it’s amazing what artistic details one can spot when simply paying attention to life.
Thank you for taking the time to view and comment. Glad to hear you were inspired. A big “Hello” to the Walman gang!
Yo Nik!
Perfect synchronicity…just saw your link today and guess where I am- in P/land!!!
Love ‘em all. Hmm, gutterleaf, coontail, motel and yellapella. And b-cup to make me laugh.
Thanks for sharing!
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