Welcome to Lens & Letters
A journey behind my lens-based creative projects
Welcome to the first issue of Lens & Letters! I'm Zuri Stanback, and I've created this space to share the journey behind my lens-based art projects as they evolve into published books, gallery exhibitions, and documentary short films.
My creative work exists in two distinct yet complementary realms. Through my photography, I document the changing urban landscape of Atlanta, exploring themes of place, memory, and transformation in projects like "BTNTRX" (focusing on historic railroad corridors) and my current "Vanishing Point" series (capturing rapidly disappearing architecture east of downtown). Meanwhile, my documentary filmmaking focuses on personal narratives telling the stories of Black women in creative and entrepreneurial fields during pivotal moments in their lives—like my recent film "ICONoclasts," which chronicles analog collage artist Marryam Moma's creative journey. Through this publication, you'll experience not just the finished pieces, but the inspiration, challenges, and discoveries that happen along the way.
As a subscriber, you'll receive behind-the-scenes glimpses into my creative process, early previews of new work, and exclusive opportunities to acquire prints and books before they're available to the general public. Some editions will be created exclusively for subscribers. My goal is to build a community of like-minded individuals who appreciate the stories that images can tell and the moments that deserve preservation before they vanish from our landscape.
I'm excited to have you join me on this visual journey. Stay tuned for my next update, where I'll share the story behind one of my favorite images from the "Vanishing Point" series and how it's shaping my upcoming book.