UNE Art Gallery in Portland to present 'An Unreliable Record: Exploring the Photographic Imaginary'
Exhibition draws from Stephen K. Halpert Photographic Collection, including newly acquired "Cottingley Fairies" print
In 1917, two girls ventured into the woods of West Yorkshire armed with a borrowed camera and an extraordinary story. The now-famous “Cottingley Fairies” photographs they produced have stirred skepticism for more than a century, but they’ve also stirred imaginations, revealing how photographic images can hold truths beyond the empirical.
The University of New England Art Gallery in Portland will explore this phenomenon in a new exhibition, “An Unreliable Record: Exploring the Photographic Imaginary,” on view July 10 through Sept. 7. The exhibition is curated by Nelleke Mack and features selected works from the Stephen K. Halpert Photographic Collection, including a rare vintage “Cottingley Fairies” print.
An opening reception will be held Thursday, July 10, from 5 to 7 p.m.
Rather than documenting the world as it is, the works in “An Unreliable Record” investigate how photography can shape the world as we perceive, or even wish, it to be. Through subtle distortions and artful constructions, the featured artists harness the medium’s unique ability to blur fact and fiction, inviting viewers to consider how magic, myth, and meaning emerge from the photographic process.
“This exhibit is a beautiful recontextualization of our Stephen K. Halpert Photographic Collection, bringing a sense of mystery and wonder through the narrative that Nelleke Mack has constructed,” said Hilary Irons, director of Galleries and Exhibitions at UNE. “Steve’s legacy is huge, and we are so grateful to Nelleke for her thoughtful and perceptive new approach to the work he gathered. Finding magic in daily life is a pressing need in difficult times, and this show promises a window into other worlds through the camera’s lens.”
Recent acquisitions in the Stephen K. Halpert Collection of Photography at UNE have been made possible thanks to the generosity of Judy Glickman-Lauder and Leonard Lauder.
The UNE Art Gallery in Portland is located at 716 Stevens Ave. in Portland. Gallery hours and additional exhibition information can be found at the UNE Art Galleries website.