The Maine Maritime Museum will open its newest exhibit – “Zach Horn: Looking for Winslow Homer” – on Saturday, June 25.
On display through Nov. 27, the exhibit showcases works by Zach Horn that aim to see Maine through the eyes of Winslow Homer. This contemporary art exhibit is a departure for Maine Maritime Museum exhibiting almost exclusively items and artifacts from their collection.
A Massachusetts-based artist, Horn’s search for Winslow Homer’s iconic breakers has brought him back to Maine’s rocky shores since he was a student. Through his own seascape works, Horn seeks to emulate the soothing power of Homer’s works. He is inspired by his experiences in nature and blends the grandeur of the sea with the joys of visiting Maine’s coastline in his art. Horn’s exhibition includes videos, sculptural works and paintings. His seascape works invite visitors to think more deeply about their relationship with the Maine coast and recall memories and emotions of visiting the ocean.
“Homer’s late paintings tease adventure. These seascapes from the late 1880s and early 1890s, when he finally settled in Prouts Neck, are his best work. By then, Homer focused on what he saw from the windows of his house on the cliff: water, stone, mist, sky. They are people-less. They are untamed nature,” said Horn. “My understanding of the landscape is not observational, it is emotional. This show is about love. I come to Maine with people that I care about. We joke, eat and swim. This artwork is trying to capture the essence of those experiences.”
To complement the exhibit, Horn will host a wine and paint workshop with an introduction to painting the ocean on Wednesday, June 22, at 1 p.m. The workshop will be held at the museum and is $25 to attend. Horn will also give an artist talk at the museum on June 22 starting at 6 p.m. and Diana Greenwold, Lunder Curator of American Art at the Smithsonian’s Freer & Sackler Galleries will be giving a virtual lecture on July 20 starting at 6 p.m. Both of the two latter events are free.
“We are honored that Zach Horn has created these works specifically for the Maine Maritime Museum to exhibit,” said Chris Timm, interim executive director at the Maine Maritime Museum. “Horn’s paintings capture the essence of Winslow Homer while adding his own unique twist. Horn’s approach to his art is grounded in the everyday experiences of being in nature but does not forget all the little things that go into making a visit to Maine’s coast so special. In addition to showcasing his work, we are excited to have Horn give an artist talk and teach a wine and paint session on June 22.”
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