Winslow Homer Studio Project

These images were made on commission for the Portland Museum of Art to be exhibited in conjunction with an exhibition of Winslow Homer's work and the opening of his restored studio to the public. The landscapes were made on location at his studio at Prouts Neck on the coast of Maine. The still lifes, installed as a group under the title, "Objects of Uncertain Provenance," are of objects found during the studio renovation. They may or may not have belonged to Homer, but the museum has acquisitioned them into the Homer archive. I like the uncertain status of these objects, especially the artist's mannequin whose outstretched hand evokes the artists hand, now long gone, a hand that may or may not have grasped this object. The photographs make these mundane objects iconic, like holy relics, revealing the power of the museum as context to define cultural significance.