Craig Easton's work examines representation and misrepresentation in northern communities of Britain to reset the experience of communities in the context of social policy and contemporary and colonial British foreign policy.
ROCKPORT, Maine, Aug. 31, 2023 /PRNewswire-PRWeb/ -- ROCKPORT, ME - Maine Media has announced Craig Easton as the recipient of the 2023 Arnold Newman Prize for New Directions in Photographic Portraiture, a $20,000 prize awarded annually by Maine Media to a photographer whose work demonstrates a compelling new vision in photographic portraiture.
The 2023 award recognizes photographer Craig Easton and his project BANK TOP, a photographic essay made in collaboration with writer, poet and social researcher Abdul Aziz Hafiz. The project examines the portrayal and misrepresentation of northern communities in the United Kingdom, and focuses on a small, tight-knit community in Blackburn, England.
Submissions to this year's prize represented 36 countries, with artists of 74 different identified nationalities. This is the largest and most expansive group of submissions since the inception of the prize.
"The caliber and diversity of work submitted to the Arnold Newman Prize this year is a testament to the expanding, invigorating world of photographic portraiture," said Elizabeth Greenberg, Maine Media's Arnold and Augusta Newman Provost.
In addition to the prize itself, the 2023 winner and finalists are invited to participate in an installation with The Griffin Museum of Photography
in Winchester, Massachusetts. Additionally, the winner is invited to and recognized at Maine Media's Visionary Awards Dinner on September 30th, where highly esteemed artist and author Cig Harvey will also be honored as the 2023 Visionary Award recipient.
About the Winner: Craig Easton's work is deeply rooted in the documentary tradition. Easton shoots long-term documentary projects exploring issues around social policy, identity, culture and community. Known for his intimate portraits and expansive landscapes, his work regularly combines these elements with reportage approaches to storytelling. He often works collaboratively with others to incorporate words, pictures and audio in a research-based practice that weaves a narrative between contemporary experience and history.
Easton's past achievements include the prestigious title of Photographer of the Year at the 2021 SONY World Photography Awards, as well as an Honorary Fellowship with the Royal Photographic Society in 2022.
He has published three monographs - Thatcher's Children, GOST Books, 2023; BANK TOP, GOST Books, 2022 and Fisherwomen, Ten O'Clock Books, 2020. More information can be found at www.craigeaston.com.
2023 Finalists: The three finalists this year include Dylan Hausthor for the project What the Rain Might Bring; Takako Kido for the project Skinship; and Nzingah Oyo for the project Of 30 Siblings.
2023 Top Ten: Additional artists recognized in the Top Ten include Matt Eich for the project Bird Song Over Black Water; Sarah Mei Herman for the project Solace; Lee-Ann Olwage for the project The Right to Play; Angelika Kollin for the project Mary's Children; Irina Werning for the project Las Pelilargas; and Kiana Hayeri for the project Loss Piles on Loss for Afghan Women.
About the Award: The Arnold Newman Prize for New Directions in Photographic Portraiture is organized and awarded annually by Maine Media, and endowed by the Arnold and Augusta Newman Foundation. The influential and revered photographer and educator, Arnold Newman, enjoyed a decades' long association with Maine Media, where he taught numerous photographic workshops over the years. The Arnold and Augusta Newman Foundation has continued his legacy at the College, supporting scholarships, media production, and a distinguished lecture series.
About the Selection Process: Submissions for the prize are selected by a jury of respected figures in the world of photography. The 2023 jurors included Sarah Leen (first female Director of Photography at National Geographic Partners and Founder of Visual Thinking Collective), Caleb Cain Marcus (head of Brooklyn based design studio Luminosity Lab), and Lisa Elmaleh (visual artist, educator, and documentarian, and 2022 recipient of the Arnold Newman Prize).
About the Exhibition: The Griffin Museum of Photography will exhibit Easton's award-winning work, as well as that of the finalists, from October 19 through 29.
About Maine Media: Founded in 1973 as a summer school for photographers, Maine Media College is now a not-for-profit degree granting institution offering more than 400 workshops, certificate programs, and master classes in the fields of photography, film, media art, printmaking, creative writing, and book arts, and serves nearly 2,000 national and international students annually on a 20 acre campus in Rockport, Maine.
Media Contact
Tessa Rosenberry, Maine Media College, 1 2072368581, [email protected], mainemedia.edu
SOURCE Maine Media College
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