For fine art photographer Abigail Wellman, success wasn’t easy to find in the state of Maine. She had to look past the region and has now gained global attention for her work.
Although Wellman originally studied graphic design at The Massachusetts College of Art and Design, her desire to concentrate further on photography brought her to USM, where she graduated in 2001 with a B.F.A. in photography. “I liked the photography program,” she said. “But I wanted to switch, and I didn’t feel like MassArt would be the best bet.”
As a fine art photographer, Wellman attempts to use the medium to convey a personal connection that she feels with the subject of a particular photograph. “A lot of the people I am working with, it’s not just their story; it’s our story,” said Wellman. “Two worlds collide and that makes an interesting picture. It’s not just what I see, but what is going on and the references in my brain that sort of fall into place with certain people.”
Although the medium of photography is inherently representational, Wellman said she attempts to capture the intangible spiritual connection she has with her subjects, many of whom are female, and in the process creates otherworldly imagery in her work. “Because I am female, I feel like my female subjects are more connected,” Wellman said. “I feel like I project myself a little into them. It is a back and forth thing. It’s a dialog, and it’s not always what you expect.”
During her time at USM, Wellman established a relationship with Rose Marasco, a professor of art and local photographer. Wellman cites Marasco’s influence as vital to her success today as a fine art photographer and was encouraged to make connections with other artists, in addition to personally opening up her own work to more experimentation.
“I still see [Marasco] today,” Wellman said. “She knows the gallery I work with and that’s helpful because she saw me evolve as an artist while I was at school. I just know her presence is sort of there at all times.”
Like other graduates, Wellman initially struggled to make the transition from a full-time student to a professional working artist. While individual professors like Marasco would personally recommend her artistic connections within the city of Portland, it was difficult for Wellman as a student to take the jump into the art community.
In addition to establishing professional connections with artists, Wellman said she believes graduates of the university’s B.F.A. in studio arts program would also benefit if they’re given more business-oriented courses as part of their degree requirements. “I do think they could have something like a small business type course,” said Wellman. “Because really, as an artist you need to know more about the business part of art. You aren’t simply creating, you’re selling something too.”
Even if you’re successful enough as an artist to have your work displayed in a gallery, it isn’t always guaranteed that you will be successful from a business standpoint — especially in the state of Maine.
As a working artist, Wellman said she’s struggled to to find a sustainable market for her work: “In Maine everyone is like, ‘Art! Art! I love it. It’s so great that you are an artist.’ But it seems like no one will buy your art, even if it is priced relatively cheap.”
Although success has been difficult for Wellman to find on a local level, the same can’t be said for her efforts worldwide. Wellman has been a featured artist three times within the internationally syndicated photography magazine “COLOR,” including her photograph “Ingrid” being showcased on the cover of the May 2010 issue.
Wellman has also won the magazine’s Excellence and Silver award for her work, both of which included multiple page spreads. In addition, she will will be a featured online artist for photography publication “Creative Quarterly.”
In 2009, Wellman published her first book of photography entitled “Women Creating Themselves,” which consists of several portraits the artist took during the course of a year. The portraits are of several female models that the artist said captures life’s conditions such as age, youth, hope, sexuality and nature. “I think publication helps promote you, and it’s in a way competitive,” said Wellman. “Because there are a bunch of your peers all trying to get published, it pushes you to try harder with your own work.”