Portland, Maine - The 20th century ushered in pivotal transformations in the medium of photography, with many important developments occurring at the hands—and via the cameras—of American artists. American Vision: Photographs from the Collection of Owen and Anna Wells will highlight the dedication of the longtime museum patrons to assembling a body of work that documents more than eight decades from the early 1900s to the 1990s of American innovation in photography. The exhibition will feature more than 40 photographs by artists as varied as Ansel Adams, Margaret Bourke-White, Paul Strand, Eliot Porter, and William Wegman, in an array of thematic, stylistic, and technical trends in American camerawork. From monumental landscapes to intimate portraits and domestic scenes of daily life, the Wells collection creates a visual survey of 20th-century photographic practices. The works on view are selected from a generous donation by the Wells of 69 photographs to museum. American Vision: Photographs from the Collection of Owen and Anna Wells will be on view December 21, 2013 through February 23, 2014, at the Portland Museum of Art.
In addition to showcasing the remarkable diversity of photographic techniques, American Vision will also explore many facets of 20th-century American life. Iconic images in black and white such as Margaret Bourke-White’s Sierra Madre (1935), and meticulously printed color works by Paul Caponigro, among other featured photographs, reveal the camera’s capacity for broad visual expression. Through the lenses of great photographers such as Berenice Abbott and Robert Mapplethorpe, the exhibition will take the visitor from rural scenes of small-town New England to the gritty streets of New York City to the magnificent expanses of American wilderness. The result is a voyage through both the history of photography and the American tradition.
In addition to collecting both photography and paintings by artists with ties to Maine, Owen Wells, Vice Chair of the Libra Foundation, and his wife, Anna, President of the Board of Trustees at the Portland Museum of Art, are actively involved in the Portland and greater Maine communities through their philanthropic work. They began their extensive collection by focusing on artists with ties to Maine, but have since expanded their collection to include many other important American artists, as seen in this exhibition.
Generously supported by Sheri and Joe Boulos, John and Alison Moore, Larry and Jean Pugh, and Bill and Peggy Ryan. Corporate Sponsor: MaineHealth.
(Image credit: Paul Caponigro (United States, born 1932), Apple Orchard, Tesque, NM, 1981, dye coupler print, 13 1/8 x 19 3/4 inches. Portland Museum of Art, Maine. © Paul Caponigro.)
MUSEUM INFORMATION
The Portland Museum of Art (PMA), Maine’s premier art museum, showcases fine and decorative arts from the 18th century to the present. From Winslow Homer and Andrew Wyeth to Pablo Picasso and Claude Monet, the PMA features three centuries of art and architecture. The museum is located at Seven Congress Square in downtown Portland. Hours are: 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday, and Sunday, and 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday. Memorial Day through Columbus Day, the PMA is open on Mondays from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. Admission is $12 for adults, $10 for seniors and students with I.D., $6 for youth ages 13 to 17, and children 12 and under are free. Special exhibition fees may apply. Admission is free on Friday evenings from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. No admission is required to visit the PMA Café and Store. Winslow Homer Studio tours available by reservation. For more information, call (207) 775-6148 or visit portlandmuseum.org.
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