By: Maxwell Dane
In the bustling world of global trade, shipping containers are the unsung workhorses of industry—stacked in ports, moving millions of goods, rarely given a second glance. However, fine art photographer Donn Delson sees them differently. From thousands of feet in the air, he transforms these industrial giants into mesmerizing compositions of color, rhythm, and movement—turning function into fine art.
In his latest solo exhibition, The Space Between, Delson presents over 48 works that reimagine these symbols of containment as compositions of order, movement, and unexpected beauty. As one of the first exhibitions dedicated exclusively to freight container photography, the show runs from February 22 to March 16, 2025, at Axiom Contemporary in the prestigious Biltmore Fashion Park in Phoenix, Arizona. This large-scale collection invites viewers to immerse themselves in the art, to reconsider the interplay between industry and abstraction, between the constructed world and the expressive potential of form.
One of the featured pieces in the exhibition, Book Sale, exemplifies Delson’s ability to discover patterns and narratives within industrial structures. Captured from above, the composition of stacked containers in varied hues resembles the carefully arranged spines of books in a store display. The juxtaposition of rigid geometry and organic wear creates a dialogue between order and entropy, much like a well-loved bookshelf where time has left its mark. The work invites the viewer to consider the function of these structures and their inherent beauty, offering a new way to see the commonplace as extraordinary.
Reimagining the Ordinary: Art in Unexpected Places
Delson’s photography explores the transformation of the mundane, shifting our perception from function to form. In Xylophones, for instance, rows of vividly painted containers at the Port of Los Angeles are captured, their stacked arrangements resembling the bars of a musical instrument. Only upon closer inspection does the photograph reveal its actual subject. This interplay between visual rhythm and structure recalls Bridget Riley’s optical kineticism, where repetition and color modulate the experience of depth and motion.
The photograph also engages with the language of Op Art, where geometric precision meets the illusion of movement. Just as Victor Vasarely used controlled abstraction to suggest three-dimensionality, Delson’s work leverages aerial perspective to create compositions that feel at once structured and dynamic.
“I want my work to challenge people’s assumptions,” Delson explains. “It is about discovering something deeper in what we usually dismiss as ordinary.”
Elevating Function Through Aerial Perspectives
“Roth & Co No. 16”
Delson’s commitment to aerial photography—executed from doorless helicopters—is both a technical and artistic choice. Unlike drones, which provide remote viewpoints, the artist’s physical presence in the air allows for a direct, embodied interaction with his subject. This immediacy is essential to works like Roth & Co No.16, where stacked containers take on a painterly quality—evoking modernist design principles of structured repetition and balance.
The Roth & Co series by Delson, which consists of 21 images, draws inspiration from the work of artist Mark Rothko. While it evokes elements of abstract color field painting, the industrial blocks in these images suggest more than just patterns of color and shape. They hint at stories of commerce, time, and the unexpected beauty found in overlooked places. Through aerial photography, Delson captures the traces of history—weathering, rust, and imperfections—on these surfaces, offering a glimpse into the layered narratives beneath. His perspective invites reflection on how time gradually alters the structured forms of industry.
“There’s something about being in the moment, hanging out of the helicopter, that connects me emotionally to the image,” Delson reflects. “At high altitudes, patterns emerge that you cannot see below. It’s an entirely different perspective. The ordinary becomes extraordinary in a way that surprises me every time.”
This perspective is central to The Space Between, where the gaps and overlaps between containers form compositions that challenge the dichotomy between control and spontaneity.
Changing Spaces Through Art
“Sliding Tiles”
Delson’s work has gained attention in architectural and design circles, where its structured compositions and vibrant colors complement contemporary interiors. Pieces like Sliding Tiles reflect modernist design principles, with simplicity and repetition contributing to visual harmony. The color-blocking in this piece brings to mind the clean aesthetic of Donald Judd’s sculptural work, where both space and objects play a crucial role in the overall composition.
Yet Delson’s images are not merely decorative. They are conversations between surface and depth, balance and contrast. By simplifying urban infrastructure into minimalist forms, Delson creates a connection between architectural photography and abstract art, similar to the approach of Bernd and Hilla Becher, who documented industrial structures focusing on typology.
The Art of Seeing Differently
Delson’s work is compelling not just because of his technical prowess but also because of his ability to extract aesthetic significance from the overlooked. The Space Between captures this philosophy, presenting shipping containers not as static elements of commerce but as symbols of transformation. His compositions paradoxically liberate structures designed to enclose, elevating them into visual poetry.
While industrial subjects have long fascinated artists—from the precision of Bernd and Hilla Becher’s water towers to Edward Burtynsky’s sweeping landscapes of industry—Delson’s The Space Between is a rare, if not unprecedented, exploration of freight containers as the sole artistic focus. This unique perspective transforms a global necessity into a meditation on pattern, order, and chaos.
“For me, art is less about documenting,” Delson says. “It’s about opening the door to new ways of seeing. The more you look, the more you notice, and the more you question.”
Through this lens, The Space Between becomes more than an exhibition; it is a meditation on perception, challenging viewers to find beauty in the overlooked. Delson redefines the industrial landscape, turning logistics into lyricism and bridging the space between what is seen and imagined.
Axiom Contemporary Phoenix
February 22-March 15, 2025
Opening Reception: February 22, 6 pm
Published by Mark V.
