Down North Artist Talks

This new series invites Maine-based and international artists to share insights about their artistic practices and works on view in The North Atlantic Triennial: Down North.

Free to attend; registration encouraged.

Lauren Fensterstock on The Order of Things (In person)

6–7 p.m. Friday, March 25, 2022

Lauren Fensterstock creates elaborate sculptures and installations that explore the evolving history of our relationship to nature. These intricate artworks are constructed in the material of ladies’ accomplishments, such as quilled paper and shellwork, emphasizing the capacity of traditional female crafts to reflect on the complexities of the world beyond the domestic sphere. Her work has been the subject of nationwide exhibitions and is represented by Claire Oliver Gallery in New York.

Peter Soriano on Ilulissat (In person)

5–6 p.m. Friday, April 15, 2022

Born in Manila, Philippines, Peter Soriano received his B.A. in Art History from Harvard College and studied at Skowhegan School of Painting and Sculpture before moving to New York City in 1981. Soriano, who is a dual citizen of France and the USA, splits his time between New York City, Paris, and Penobscot, Maine.

By the 1990s, following exhibitions in New York and Paris, Soriano had earned international recognition for his deceptively playful biomorphic sculptures made of fiberglass. In 2004, after a six-month residency at the Calder Studio in Saché, France, Soriano began making wall-based sculptures, introducing taut steel cables and metal pipes to his work. With the addition of spray paint applied directly to the wall, these installations became increasingly two-dimensional until, in 2012, Soriano eliminated structural elements altogether. His work now consists exclusively of large-scale wall drawings composed of acrylic and spray paint, as well as related works on pleated and folded paper. 

Joshua Reiman on Time Washes Over Us

6–7 p.m. Friday, April 29

Video: Joshua Reiman, (United States, born 1972), Time Washes Over Us, (detail), 2022. Single-channel video, approximately 21 minutes 18 seconds. Musical score consists of contributions and collaborations with Norihito Suda (Japan), Jóhann Jóhannsson (Iceland), Patrick Carey (Portland, ME), ANOHNI (New York, NY), and Ole B Fossdalur Reiman (Portland, ME). Courtesy of the artist. © Joshua Reiman

Joshua Reiman’s work is focused on what he calls “neospatial practice” which includes sculpture, film & video, assemblage, and photography. His work has been exhibited in galleries, museums, and film festivals across the United States, Germany, Estonia, Egypt, Iceland, France, Australia, Japan, and Morocco. Reiman is the Gary Ambrose Associate Professor of Sculpture at The Maine College of Art & Design, and also Chair of the Sculpture Program. He has an MFA in Sculpture from Syracuse University and a BFA in Sculpture from the Kansas City Art Institute. Reiman is also a writer for Sculpture Magazine. Joshua and his wife Addy and son Ole currently live in an 1880’s brick house in Portland, ME with their dog Otto R. Mutt. Joshua was also once a Rubik’s Cube champion, and is an eternal dreamer.

Ann Cathrin November Høibo and Arngunnur Ýr (Virtual)

12–1 p.m. Tuesday, May 3

Ann Cathrin November Høibo’s intricate handwoven textiles abstract the Norwegian landscape while Arngurnnur Ýr’s vibrant landscape paintings conjure theatrical fantasy while exploring the rapid changes taking place as a result of climate change in Iceland’s glacial fields. This conversation will center landscape and abstraction as a source of artistic inspiration.

Christopher Carroll on Viridis Genii and Plant Autonomy

2–3 p.m. Thursday, May 26

Christopher Carroll is visual artist, environmentalist, and occultist that splits his time equally between Maine, Brooklyn, and Louisiana. Christopher received his MFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design and his BFA from Virginia Commonwealth University; he has also attended residencies at the Skowhegan School of Painting & Sculpture, E.F.A Shift, and Monson Arts.