In the early 1960s Nicholas Nixon relocated to Albuquerque in order to complete his postgraduate studies at the University of New Mexico. El Mar Motel is part of a series of photographs he made on the outskirts of the city. After using a Leica camera during his early years Nixon opted for a 4-x-5-inch large format camera that he initially held in his hands without a tripod. Later on the use of a fixed large format camera became a hallmark of his working method.

Despite being in a period of training as a photography student, one can observe in this early series certain traits that would come to define his oeuvre: meticulous composition, tonal richness, and above all, sharp clarity, all of which demonstrate his keen understanding of the photographic medium’s descriptive nature. The New Mexico landscape lends itself to Nixon’s camera. In these photographs, and throughout his career, he stills time. This temporal suspension, like a silent construction, is inscribed within the uniform expanse of the sky and the desert.