The exhibit—called “Home and Other Realms”—is currently at the UNE Art Gallery in Portland and contains three groups of photographs. One group features images of his son, Calvin, and wife, Christy Shake. Calvin, who has multiple disabilities, is the centerpiece of the photos, which show Kolster and Shake interacting with him at home in a series of intimate portraits.
Calvin’s many conditions and ailments include intractable epilepsy and an inability to speak, said Kolster, meaning he requires constant care and oversight. “Christy and I struggle to understand what his behavior might tell us about what he is thinking, feeling, and needing moment to moment. Needless to say, taking care of Calvin means watching him from the periphery of whatever world he inhabits,” he explained. Calvin seems to be unaware of being seen by others and consequently does not hold still for the camera, or for anything, said Kolster. “In these moments I am struck by how hard it is to forge a bond with him, either spiritually or emotionally. Camera in hand, I feel apart.”
Kolster said he was inspired to photograph his son partly by the fact that Calvin, whom he has been photographing since his birth, is now eighteen and hitting adulthood. “For these past two years, his nascent whiskers rub against my face to surprise me, this as we change diapers and put him in his crib to sleep, our nightly ritual over the past eighteen-and-half years and counting.” *
The idea of physically changing bodies was also a factor in Kolster’s decision to dedicate part of the exhibit to a series of self-portraits, which he has never done before. “As I age, my body has become less recognizable to me, which I can only respond to by making photographs of it.” However, the main reason for creating these self-portraits, which were made last spring, is what Kolster calls a “kind of quid pro quo for displaying in public photographs of others, especially my family. It seemed that subjecting others’ likenesses to such scrutiny required me to offer up mine to the same.”
The third group of photographs in the exhibit also connects to the theme of change over time, although the subjects are of places rather than portraits. They describe aspects of downtown Lewiston taken by Kolster over two years. “I’ve been making pictures in various cities for over three decades, and most recently I turned to Maine’s second largest city, visiting frequently and typically circling a ten-block stretch along Lisbon Street near Main Street.”
During these walks Kolster said he became aware of how much had changed, sometimes just a day or two since his last visit. “Or maybe I was just noticing things I had previously overlooked?” The answer, he suspects, is that both are true.
“As they say, you can never step into the same river twice—because, like water flowing down a river to the sea, we, too, are in constant motion, changing and being changed by the daily rush of life.”
Michael Kolster’s exhibit “Home and Other Realms” is at the UNE Art Gallery in Portland until January 22, 2023. Gallery hours are Thursday to Saturday, noon–5:00 p.m., or by appointment. More details.
*Read Christy Shake’s blog, calvin’s story.
