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Cole Caswell of Peaks Island, is an artist whose home is tethered to an island off the coast of Maine. His work Rise is a photographic investigation of the coastal landscape in Maine that will be lost to sea level rise. The use of the wet-plate collodion process allows Cole to hand make each of his images while on location. The resulting glass-plate negatives are an accumulation of what it is like to be in a place – a tribute to a landscape that will be consumed by water and the rising ocean. The artifacts and unique marks within the hand poured negatives intrigue Cole. “As chance-based additions they visually suggest the faltering of our contemporary world.” Maybe visions from memory, a dream, or a fleeting glimpse of what is at stake as our climate changes the places we hold sacred.”

Artist Statement:

My sense of home is tethered to an island off the coast of Maine. A landscape often battered by wind, drenched in waves, and enveloped in fog. The coastline of Maine has always felt like a mystical place for me, dotted by marshes, lagoons, and islands. Romantic and full of history this place where sea meets land is going to change in dramatic ways as our planet’s climate continues to warm. Predicted sea level rise is already affecting the coastline and by the end of the century the places described in these images will be underwater or changed beyond recognition. Reclaimed by the ocean. My use of the wet-plate collodion process allows me to hand make each of these images while on location. The resulting glass-plate negatives are an accumulation of what it is like to be in a place – a tribute to a landscape that will be consumed by water and the rising ocean. The artifacts and unique marks within the hand poured negatives intrigue me. As chance-based additions they visually suggest the faltering of our contemporary world. Maybe visions from memory, a dream, or a fleeting glimpse of what is at stake as our climate changes the places we hold sacred.

Award Statement:

The Maine Art Fellowship is an award I am very humbled to receive. I see the award as a chance to further expand my audience while simulations allowing me to create and pursue new works. The fellowship has inspired me to chase loose ends and question while adding energy to my studio practice. I have been pursuing a Maine Arts Fellowship since becoming an artist and settling in the state – its been a huge goal - and to be chosen for this year’s fellowship leaves me speechless and so excited to continue making work!

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