Walter Smalling Pictures Maine Artist Studios and Homes

Last Thursday the Bowdoin College Museum of Art opened At First Light: Photographs of Maine Artist Studios and Homes by Walter Smalling, an exhibition of twenty-six photographs from the publication of the same title that the BCMA and publisher Rizzoli Electa brought out in 2020. It remains on view in the Zuckert Seminar Room until August 21 and relates to the larger exhibition, At First Light: Two Centuries of Artists in Maine, which opens to the public on June 25.

Anne and Frank Goodyear sat down with Smalling recently to discuss his work in 2018 crisscrossing the state of Maine in all seasons to create images of notable artist homes and studios. A celebrated photographer with a specialty in historic preservation and architecture, Smalling lives in Washington D.C., though has summered for many years in Penobscot, Maine.

Anne Collins Goodyear [ACG]: Could you talk with us about the conception of this project? We remember speaking with you about it back in 2015 and learning about your interest in documenting the homes of Maine artists.

Walter Smalling [WS]: I have to say our project was sort of a harmonic convergence. Years ago, partly because of my interest in architectural photography and preservation, I had thought about the idea of doing something that would involve Maine artists. I had conversations with [former Farnsworth Art Museum curator] Michael Komanecky and then ultimately with the two of you. You were relatively new in Maine at that time. That was great because it introduced you to many of the artists here in Maine and the state more generally.

Frank Goodyear [FG]: Could you talk with us about how this project compares with other projects photographing historic architecture with which you’ve been involved in the past?

WS: The first thing that sets it apart, I suppose, is just simply the people. There were places where we could go that clearly were identified with particular people, many of whom were still working away at their art. To be able to go to their houses while they were there and to spend time with them made it so much more personal and immediate. Oftentimes I’m doing projects that are simply about physical bricks and mortar. In this case we got to meet a number of interesting people.

ACG: One thing struck me about your approach to photographing these houses: the strong narratives that are embedded in architecture and the stories that houses have to tell. Could you speak about your approach to capturing a set of images that, while being documentary, also capture a story at the same time?

WS: One of the things that I learned long ago—because I have done “historic preservation photography” now for more than 30 years—is that the main thing is always to be open. You have to approach a place with a very neutral and open mind. Sometimes, if I were going into an historic building, I would just sit down and find a place somewhere and let it present itself to me. Let it seep in and let the voices speak.

FG: Were there things that surprised you when you were working on the project, things you expected to find but didn’t find or things that you found that you weren’t expecting?

WS: I found it interesting that I encountered in these homes and studios so many souvenirs that the people there had collected. For instance, in the home of Fairfield Porter, who is long dead, there were things that appeared in his paintings that were still in that house on Great Spruce Head Island, vases and chairs and tables and things that were saved over the years. I found that that happened over and over again in many of the houses I visited. There were also those instances where it was not so easy to find the homes of certain well-known artists. For example, Marsden Hartley. We had to go looking for him. During this process [Maine State Historian] Earle Shettleworth was an invaluable assistant. He helped to draw up a list of artist homes and to share where they were. That was a great starting point. I was surprised how many notable homes were still standing in little corners throughout the state of Maine.

ACG: What was it about the houses that you thought would add to what we understand about these artists? Many of us know these artists’ paintings or photographs we see hanging in museums, but I think we often know less about the person who created them or where they come from. What was it that you thought these houses could add to our appreciation of what it means to make art in this part of the world?

WS: I think many of us are voyeurs when it comes to people. I use the term a “house voyeur” because we like to see how other people live. I think we define ourselves sometimes by what we see other people do. If you are a visual artist, where you live and where you work is going to be of interest. A house is a manifestation of a person. Because Maine is such a singular place and has some incredible old houses, you can often tell quite a bit from how people lived.

FG: I know that you’ve been coming to Maine for many years and know the state well. After the opportunity to travel so extensively and to spend time at all these different sites with some extraordinary people, was there anything you learned during this project?

WS: I think for those of us who have a connection to Maine we come to realize that while we may shape Maine in some ways, ultimately it is Maine that really shapes us. I think the people who were attracted to Maine were a rarefied group, maybe even a little wacky. It’s different than a lot of places; there’s a lot of wildness. I think that Maine’s ruggedness, its beauty, and its light did shape people.