'Contemporary faces'

PMA mounts show of Joyce Tenneson's ethereal celebrity portraits

Images of celebrities such as Jodi Foster, Demi Moore, Jessica Tandy, Norah Jones, James Taylor and the late Andrew Wyeth will grace the walls of the Portland Museum of Art when "Joyce Tenneson: Polaroid Portraits" opens this Saturday, July 11. A well-respected contemporary photographer who spends part of the year in Maine, Tenneson is known for portraits which combine mythology with universal truths. Her photographs have appeared on countless magazine covers, including Time, Life, Entertainment Weekly, Newsweek and Esquire.

The majority of the work in the exhibition is from Tenneson's self-described "white period" during the mid-1980s. In these works, the powdered white models are encircled with layers of translucent fabrics and gauzes reflecting the ideas of concealment and revelation, privacy and self-exposure. These photographs feature ethereal-looking women with wings, women holding spheres of light and women boldly celebrating their bodies.

The show remains on view through Oct. 4. A complementary show of historical portraits by photographer Julia Margaret Cameron called "For My Best Beloved Sister Mia" is on view on the second floor through Sept. 7. Admission to the museum costs $10 and is free every Friday night from 5-9 pm. Visit www.portlandmuseum.org for more info.
[Image: "Salma Hayek, 2004," by Joyce Tenneson]

Art in the garden

UNE opens 8th sculpture invitational

It's finally summer, and that means getting outside to enjoy the sun, the beach and sculpture. Once again the "Sculpture Garden Invitational" at the Art Gallery at the University of New England in Portland is on view. Now in its eighth year, the invitational features a diverse mix of artists and media.

The sculptures in this year's show seem especially well suited to the natural surroundings. Some pieces merely reference the natural world, but many are made from natural materials. Here, wood and stone, metal and clay are transformed into art with results appealing, disturbing and always interesting.

Jean Noon's "Heartman," a tall, gangly humanoid sculpted from twisted wire, stands in the middle of the action, much like the viewer. Faceless and featureless - except for a bulbous red heart - "Heartman" seems to represent our place within this self-contained world of art.

Prowling the lawn are Noon's other wire pieces, including a horse, a bear and a bird flying through the branches. The effect of these sculptures is surprising, as a gust of wind or a glint of sunlight on the metal lend movement and dimension to Noon's spare but life-like creations.

Roger Prince and Jeremy Norton's "Dead Horse" is a massive wooden sculpture. Painted white, it has an eerie glow against the grass. Larger than life size, its sharp rib bones rise up like the ravaged shell of a wrecked ship. This strange work demands attention.

Demanding attention of a different kind is Carolyn Treat's wonderfully subtle "Traversal," composed of three marble chunks bearing delicately carved incisions and organic shapes seemingly worn out of the stone through time.

With curvy, sinuous plates of rusted steel, "Symbiosis" by Melita Westerlund is an organic fusion of industrial and natural. In fact, the sculpture itself is a perfect example of its title: complementing the natural surroundings, rather than obscuring them.

Don't miss the small selection of sculptures in the gallery's vestibule, which includes mixed media works as well as stone carved pieces by Andreas von Huene and Tom Chapin, among others.

The "Sculpture Garden Invitational" remains on view until October 31. Attend a gallery conversation with the artists on Aug. 27, 5-6:30 pm. FMI visit www.une.edu/artgallery.
[Image: "Heartman," by Jean Noon "Symbiosis," by Melita Westerlund]

- Jamie Thompson