'Acadia Impression' is a Viewer's Dream of Moments and Connection
Howie Motenko resonates in black and white
MOUNT DESERT—Light and community, the connection between objects—stationary and mobile—have always been hallmarks of Howie Motenko’s photography. His latest exhibit is a celebration and homage to what makes balance, what creates harmony, and how moments and elements of those moments are connected.
Light—what it illuminates, what it doesn’t—is intrinsic to Montenko’s work. It’s perhaps never more so as it balances with other elements than in the Seal Harbor man’s photography exhibit, Acadia Impressions, which will be at the Blum Gallery at College of the Atlantic from July 3 through July 20.
This project is the next evolution of that emphasis on light and on Godai.
“This project encompasses four years of me hiking, mostly in winter, thinking about the Japanese philosophy of Godai (earth, water, fire, wind, and void), and capturing those thoughts in black and white photographs,” Motenko said.
Godai or “Five Great” is a fundamental part of Japanese culture and philosophy. It is often connected with Mahābhūta, which is a Buddhist concept.
”It represents the five fundamental elements that make up the universe: Earth (Chi), Water (Mizu), Fire (Hi), Wind (Kaze), and Void (Ku). These elements are not just physical entities but also symbolize various states of matter,” writes Syndu of Godai.
Guided by the Bates cairns, Motenko’s Godai impressions are unveiled in a series of images during Acadia’s often more sedentary winters. In the winter months of 2021, Montenko headed to his backyard, Acadia National Park, looking for light, looking for imagination, looking for moments.
“Being in the park takes me back to childhood—when you are a little kid, you want to go out and explore your backyard, looking for new ways to use your imagination,” Motenko told Friends of Acadia’s Julia Walker Thomas.
There’s something elevated, something magical in both Motenko’s images and his way of seeing.
In the winter of 2021, Motenko was in search of inspiration and community. He found both in an online workshop that explored the Japanese philosophy of Godai through photography. In 2019 he was a Acadia National Park Resident Artist.
He is often guided bysearching for images and moments that others might not immediately see. Then he shares those moments—maybe of moonlight, maybe during quiet seasons, maybe of a place not on the top-ten-list of things to do in Acadia National Park. And he explores. And he gives back.
“I am partnering with Friends Of Acadia and donating a portion of proceeds to them,” he said of his current exhibit and art.
“Like as a child, I still enjoy exploration,” Motenko told Walker Thomas. “Now, instead of just adventuring in Acadia, I am also thinking meditatively about what the feeling I get from the park means and how I can interpret it through the still image.”
MORE ABOUT MOTENKO
Monteko is the recipient of a Maine Arts Commission grant for his Acadia Moon Dance project and his Painting Islands project. Howie was honored with the Friends of Acadia “Community Volunteer Award” for his Painting Bridges project.
Monteko founded Acadia Photo Safari and holds a Master of Liberal Arts degree from Harvard University.
DETAILS
July 3-20 - Acadia Impressions Exhibition - Blum Gallery, College of the Atlantic - Open: 9 am to 4 pm - everyday
July 9 @ 4 pm - Meet the Artist (Howie) - Blum Gallery, College of the Atlantic
LINKS TO LEARN MORE
For a FOA video of Motenko at work, click here.
For Motenko’s 2012 Painted Bridges, click here.
Motenko’s website
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