Trace Nichols’ Tortured Souls will be featured in Art = Community at the Aspen Chapel Gallery from August 20 to September 27, 2025. This series reimagines iconic artists as anthropomorphic figures. Nichols uses AI to design each portrait, then transforms the images into hand-pulled photogravures. The result blends modern technology with historic printmaking.
Each portrait is a full-length environmental image inspired by the artist’s cultural influence and personal mythology. Rather than focus on biography or tragedy, the work invites viewers to think about shared creative legacy. Nichols describes them as “echoes—part invented, part remembered.”
The process begins with AI-generated compositions in the style of 19th-century wet plate photography. These are then printed as photogravures, a traditional method known for its rich tones and tactile detail. The combination of old and new creates a unique visual language that connects past and present.
Art = Community runs daily from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m., with an opening reception on August 20 from 4 to 7 p.m.
- Exhibition: Art = Community, Aspen Chapel Gallery
- Dates: August 20 – September 27, 2025
- Opening Reception: August 20, 4–7 PM
- Location: Aspen Chapel Gallery, Aspen, CO – open daily 10 AM – 5 PM
“This series reimagines cultural icons who were tragically lost, as anthropomorphic animals in wet plate style portraits. Created with AI and finalized as photogravures, these figures form an imagined community bound by presence, memory, and creative legacy.” — Trace Nichols
Medium: Hand-pulled photogravure prints from AI-generated source imagery
Size: 10” x 12.5”, printed on Awagami Bamboo Select
Website: tracenichols.com
Instagram: @tracearts