Piece Work
Aaron Williams, Iceland/Makena Beach II (Stock Photography), 2013, photo collage, 48” x 72”. © Aaron Williams.
Candace Plummer Gaudiani, 0392, from the series Between Destinations, 2009, inkjet print, 20” x 13 3/5”. © Candace Plummer Gaudiani
Crystal Cawley, Vague Idea Vestment (for Elizabeth Hawes), 2013, felt, jigsaw puzzle pieces, handmade paper, embroidery, quilted hanger, 72” x 29” x 18”. © Crystal Cawley
Adriane Herman and Brian Reeves, Dually Noted, 2012, ink-jet print, 27” x 19 3/4”. © Adriane Herman and Brian Reeves
JT Bullitt, I Will Not Stop Until I Am Asleep, 2001, archival ink on paper, 13” x 12”. © JT Bullitt
Gary M. Green, Untitled from Terrain Vague, 2010–2013, archival pigment print, 20” x 24”. © Gary M. Green
Abbie Read, Library, 2010–2012, artist books, old books, and found objects, 7 1/2’ x 18’. © Abbie Read.
Jason Rogenes, Stargazer, 2012, EPS foam inserts and electrical components, 96” x 144” x 20”. © Jason Rogenes
SHOWCASE – August 2013
Edited by Rebecca Falzano
A preview of the 2013 Portland Museum of Art Biennial
Out of 900 entries, the Portland Museum of Art selected 30 artists to participate in the 2013 Portland Museum of Art Biennial: Piece Work, the PMA’s eighth consecutive biennial. The Biennial—the first to include a subtitle—was curated by Jessica May, curator of contemporary and modern art, and will be on view from October 3, 2013 through January 5, 2014.
According to the PMA, the subtitle, Piece Work, is derived from the exhibition’s thematic approach. Says May, “Throughout the art-making communities in Maine, and the contemporary art world in the United States, we are in a particularly rich moment for art that evokes process and time-intensive labor, as well as the translation of media from one form to another.” The Biennial seeks to expand on this insight by presenting a broad range of perspectives—including, for several artists, a direct engagement with the notion of time and human experience. Piece Work is meant to evoke the traditional labor-based notion of artisans and factory workers who are paid “by the piece,” but also to conjure the image in visitors’ minds of “one thing after another,” a seemingly endless repetition of making, passing, and making again.
The judging of the 2013 Biennial followed a slightly different process from in the past; this year’s selection was conducted internally rather than by a panel of independent jurors. The goal of the exhibition is to explore one very strong, deep thread of contemporary practice that has relevance both regionally and nationally. Many of the artists live in Maine for all or part of the year, and for others the state has an important place in their biography or artistic practice. On these pages, MH+D presents a preview.
2013 Biennial Artists:
Kate Beck (Harpswell, ME)
Matt Blackwell (Brooklyn, NY)
Allison Cooke Brown (Yarmouth, ME)
JT Bullitt (Milbridge, ME)
Crystal Cawley (Portland, ME)
Caleb Charland (South Portland, ME)
Lauren Fensterstock (Portland, ME)
Alina Gallo (Portland, ME)
Candace Plummer Gaudiani (Menlo Park, CA)
Bryan Graf (Portland, ME)
Julie Gray (Saco, ME)
Gary M. Green (Waterville, ME)
Adriane Herman & Brian Reeves (Portland, ME)
Alison Hildreth (Portland, ME)
Garrick Imatani (Portland, OR)
Joe Kievitt (Portland, ME)
Jocelyn Lee (Brooklyn, NY & Cape Elizabeth, ME)
Sage Lewis (Columbus, OH)
Rahul Mitra (Pearland, TX)
Duane Paluska (Woolwich, ME)
Zach Poff & N.B. Aldrich (Penobscot, ME)
Abbie Read (Appleton, ME)
Justin Richel (Rangeley, ME)
Jason Rogenes (Georgetown, ME)
Carrie Scanga (South Portland, ME)
Marguerite White (Newton, MA)
Aaron Williams (Queens, NY)
Michael Zachary (Jamaica Plain, MA)
The 2013 Biennial will be on view at the Portland Museum of Art from October 3, 2013 to January 5, 2014. For more information, visit portlandmuseum.org