Synopses & Reviews
Maine: The Home Place features ninety-six breathtaking and elegantly presented color photographs of Maine, all previously unpublished, accenting what the author/photographer refers to as the other Maine. Taken over the course of twenty-four years, these powerful and provocative images are presented in five sections that together, will modify many readers' perceptions of the essence of Maine, a state widely held to be defined by its picturesque, rock-ribbed coastline clinging to a murky and unknown outback. The Land celebrates the stunning, too-often overlooked beauties of tranquil inland Maine; The People highlights the unique and marvelous character of Mainers today; Farms poignantly exposes the nature of rural contemporary life, in which Maine faces the decline and disappearance of its farm heritage; Sonatas, Fractals, Koans, and Elegies closely observes Maine's striking lakes, mountains, and woodlands; and, The Coast features Sayeen's fresh take on Maine's well-loved harbors and shore. Brief narratives by the photographer introduce each section, and the book closes with his short Notes on Photography. The lyrical introduction by Roger Payne sets the stage for the photographic feast that is Maine: The Home Place.
Each memorable photograph has meaning in terms of the landscape and the people who live and work in Maine. Together they subtly convey inland and coastal Maine's ravishing beauty and dramatic geography, the Yankee innocence, durability, and enduring purity of spirit embodied by Mainers in the face of modern challenges to their forefathers' honored way of life, and the wealth of visually striking forms in which nature manifests herself in all seasons.Visitors and residents alike will cherish this emotionally charged and exquisite visual celebration of Maine, the first photographic collection to pay homage to the entire state in all its grace and glory.