UMaine Museum of Art Announces Summer Exhibitions
Contact: Kathryn Jovanelli, 207.561.3350
Bangor, Maine – The University of Maine Museum of Art is pleased to present the following exhibitions to open to the public on June 26, 2009: Highway of Thought: Photographs by David Hilliard; Elegant Darkness: Photographs by Connie Imboden; Recent Sculptures by Christopher Frost.
Highway of Thought: Photographs by David Hilliard
June 26 – September 19, 2009
David Hilliard’s multiple paneled, panoramic photographs explore issues of masculinity and capture a range of cross generational experiences—from childhood insecurities and the awkwardness of adolescence, to the complexities of manhood. On the road to self discovery, Hilliard’s subjects encounter a series of physical and emotional tests. While the images vary from a cluttered basement to colorful country fairs, the majority of the works reveal the photographer’s connection to landscape and nature.
The settings of several of the images are located on scenic lakes in Maine, in rustic cabins and summer retreats. These natural environments are the backdrop for exploring the intricacies of relationships and self identity. The father/son relationship, which has been a recurrent theme throughout Hilliard’s career, is the subject of several compositions in the exhibition. These emotionally charged photographs attest to the strength of familial bonds, respect despite individual differences, and the inevitability of aging.
David Hilliard received his MFA from Yale University and has taught at Harvard University, Yale University and the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston. His photographs are in the collection of the Whitney Museum of American Art, Museum of Contemporary Art Los Angeles, Philadelphia Museum of Art, Museum of Fine Arts Boston, among others.
Elegant Darkness: Photographs by Connie Imboden
June 26 – September 19, 2009
Connie Imboden has been taking beautifully seductive photographs for over 25 years. Her works are the subject of a recently released book, Reflections: 25 Years of Photography by Connie Imboden, which surveys her extensive creative output. Many of these seminal works are featured in this exhibition. Imboden’s black and white photographs explore the terrain of the human body in images that are both beautiful and mysterious. Some images strike an unsettling feeling for that which is unknown, while others capture elegant abstractions of the figure.
The photographer harnesses the seductive qualities of water, manipulating its reflective nature with dramatic results. Her images are visually perplexing; through the camera lens, Imboden captures the exact moment when flesh and water intersect to create a new visual conundrum.
Connie Imboden teaches at the Maryland Institute College of Art. Her photographs are in the collections of the nation’s most prestigious museums including: Museum of Modern Art, New York; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; National Museum of American Art, Washington; Philadelphia Museum of Art, among others. She has taught for numerous years at the Maine Media Workshop in Rockport, ME.
Recent Sculptures by Christopher Frost
June 26 – September 19, 2009
Sculptor Christopher Frost exhibits a series of whimsical sculptures that express a childlike playfulness. Frost’s large scale constructions often combine a range of materials including: cast bronze elements, wood, concrete and found objects. In addition, the artist often incorporates random objects, from grandfather clocks to sewing machines, into constructions that evoke colorful narratives and historical references.
Many of Frost’s sculptures are inspired by his childhood love of reading adventure books such as The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn and Treasure Island. A featured work in the exhibition, Hawkeye’s Cave, is a reference to James Fenimore Cooper’s novel The Last of the Mohicans. In this sculpture a stack of colored and various style chairs are encapsulated by undulating strips of wooden strapping. The organic form brings to mind a child’s rickety fort or fanciful huts pieced together from discarded wood and old furniture. The large scale work Acanthus, featured in the Zillman Gallery, consists of a ten foot tall wooden tree with an array of hand constructed wooden buildings in place of the foliage.
Christopher Frost received his MFA in sculpture from the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, MA, and a BA in studio art from Bates College in Lewiston, ME. He has been awarded numerous public art commissions and was the artist-in-residence for The Institute of Contemporary Art in Boston. Frost’s sculptures have been featured in outdoor exhibitions at the DeCordova Museum and Sculpture Park, Fuller Museum and The Art Complex Museum.