Scott Peterman: Retreat

November 14, 2004 – January 9, 2005

The exhibition depicted blustery landscapes in Maine marked by ice fishing shacks. Taken from 1998 through 2003, the meticulously crafted color photographs of vernacular architecture capture the serenity and solitude of ice fishing with keen detail. The body of work, spanning six years, began in the late 1990s with portraits of fishermen in their shacks on the frozen lakes of Maine and New Hampshire. Peterman’s exploration of the outside world monumentalizes the temporary architecture of ice fishing shacks, or “bob-houses” as they’re called locally. The artist describes the ramshackle structures as places of refuge, in essence forts or clubhouses for adults. The custom-built shelters are designed so that all necessities-heating stove, beer, electronic fish finder, and lantern-are within arm’s reach. Many shacks are constructed from recycled materials like wood scraps, packing crates and even aluminum newspaper press plates.

Over time, the images gradually shifted from vibrantly colored pictures of fishermen engaged in a waiting game, as in Pleasant Lake (1998), to virtually, white-out landscapes distinguishable only by the unique features of each shack floating on the icy pond or lake. People have vanished from the scene as the artist’s focus has moved to the investigation of the structural forms and their relationship to the wintry surroundings. Peterman’s photographs depict ad hoc architecture in a manner that highlights their minimalist sculptural features. He elegantly records fleeting moments when fog or snow all but erase the entire landscape, highlighting the colorful huts floating in a sea of white. Flawlessly printed, this young artist does not utilize any digital techniques. Instead, he elects to manipulate by under- and overexposing in the darkroom. Typically, the titles of works are derived from the body of water or name for the fishing spot where the photograph was created.

Installation Images