Selections of photography work by University of Maine at Presque Isle professor H. Anderson Giles were chosen for inclusion in a recent invitational photo exhibition at the Center for Maine Contemporary Art (CMCA) in Rockport. The exhibition titled Photographing Maine: Ten Years Later was a comprehensive review of current topics in contemporary photography in Maine. All photographs selected were taken in Maine between 2000 and 2009. The exhibit continued the legacy of CMCA’s landmark exhibition, Photographing Maine: 1840-2000.
Bruce Brown, Curator Emeritus of CMCA, organized the exhibition, continuing his long-standing efforts to recognize and exhibit the finest photography work in our state. The invitational exhibition featured 150 Maine photographers which provided the public an opportunity to view the wide variation of approaches to contemporary photography in a state noted for its rich photographic traditions. Work created by digital methods, as well as traditional darkroom methods, was featured.
Brown and the CMCA staff selected work from Giles’ photos taken at the Phish “IT” concert in Limestone, Maine. Giles’ images come from his documentary work on the huge Phish concerts, which were highlighted in UMPI’s 2009 Phish Retrospective Exhibition. Brown commented “… that good old Giles’ sense of wry humor. That’s why I always seem to smile whenever your [Andy’s] name comes to mind.”
The Photographing Maine: Ten Years Later exhibition has been published in a book, and the entire exhibition can also be viewed online at http://www.cmcanow.org/. While each photographer exhibited a single work in the invitational exhibition, four images from each of the 150 artists are included in the online component.
In 2009, Brown received an honorary degree from UMPI in recognition of his outstanding contributions to art in Maine. “Bruce Brown is one of the pillars of the art community in Maine,” said Giles. “He has always looked north and included our region’s vibrant art community.”
A group of UMPI Photo III students accompanied Giles to view the exhibition in November 2010. They also visited the University of Maine Museum of Art and the Farnsworth Museum.
