cate wnek | the salty years | an artist book

limited edition of 8, signed and numbered by the artist:

I. mini diorama
II. tunnel book
III. star accordion
IV. butterfly pamphlet

to be presented in a handmade, custom case by Richard Smith.

the salty years is a collection of 4 handmade artist books and poem, exploring the ephemeral reality of the rapid passage of time for a parent of a child. plentiful days recede like dissipating ripples, cascading into years.
emotional ups and downs parallel the rising and fall of the tide. in this series, one discovers how though one can’t keep every moment as a memory, it is an overwhelming feeling of realization and recognition which lingers and restores. It is as cool as the salty breeze, raising goosebumps.

 

 

 

the salty years . . .

running downhill,

into saltwater sprays,

sea waves lift and

buoy me afloat

i am lighter for the jaunt.

as the heaviness rolls out

with the tide.

 

Statement
Often a hyperawareness within me detects something elusive that could happen to my children, or me — however protected I imagine us to be. In Raising Goosebumps, I have found a way forward through the fears and vulnerabilities of motherhood. For me, the creative process serves to offset the heartache I feel witnessing my children’s growing pains and the frustrations they struggle to overcome. This discomfort sparks my visual fascination. Within the images, I am transported to an alternate world where I can face the fragility more bravely. Seeing beauty through the camera’s lens, I experience the kind of awe and wonder that raises goosebumps on my skin. Through all this, I am able to go deeper into myself to find new ways of navigating our bumpy days. – CW

CV

group shows

2019

Panopticon Gallery (Boston), First Look Portfolio Showcase

Aperture Gallery (NYC), Lensculture Art Photography Awards

2018

LoosenArt/Millepiani (Rome, Italy), Surfaces

Beacon Gallery (Boston, MA), Nature & Vitality

The FENCE, New England Regional Photographers Showcase

Griffin Museum, 24th Annual Juried Members’ Exhibition (Juried by Richard McCabe)

Photoplace Gallery, Water (Juried by Ann Jastrab)

The Curated Fridge (Curated by J. Sybylla Smith)

2017

Photoplace Gallery, Celebrating the Creative Process (Juried by Kat Kiernan)

2016

The Curated Fridge (Curated by Caleb Cole)

awards + honors

Finalist, Art Photography Awards, Lensculture, 2018

Honorable Mention, Water, Photoplace Gallery, June 2018

Directors Award, Celebrating the Creative Process, Photoplace Gallery, December 2017

Photo of the Day, Don’t Take Pictures, December 2017

National Geographic Your Shot, Daily Dozen, Editor’s Pick (2015)

Top 100 Photographers to Watch in 2015, Clickin Moms (2015)

Mom.me – Our 50 Favorite Mom Photographers (2014)

bodies of work

raising goosebumps, ongoing, delving inward to balance uncertainty with wonder

long form, ongoing, word and image pairings by date and time

cloud 9, complete, a mother seeing the world through child-like eyes

related experience

Artist Talk, Raising Goosebumps, Griffin Museum of Photography, August 2018

Offset/Shutterstock, Contributing Photographer, Ongoing

Adobe Premium Stock, Contributing Photographer, Ongoing

bibliography

2018

Phoblogopher, “Cate Wnek’s Intimate ‘Raising Goosebumps’ Serves as an Experiential Escape”

Lensculture, Interview: Raising Goosebumps, Cate Wnek

Dodho, Interview: Fever by Cate Wnek

C-41, Have you ever had goosebumps? Come inside the kaleidoscope world of Cate Wnek

24th Annual Juried Members’ Exhibition, Griffin Museum of Photography Exhibition Catalog

Celebrating the Creative Process, Photoplace Gallery Exhibition Catalog

Water, Photoplace Gallery Exhibition Catalog

Aspect Initiative, Featured Artist

2016

Exquisite Corpse, Vol 2: Extended Play, Maine Media Workshops + College

publications

Wnek, C. (November 2015) “ My Foray into Film.” Lemonade & Lenses.

Wnek, C. (August 2015) “Life Lessons in Film.” One-Twenty-Five.

Wnek, C. (March/April 2015) “Learning through Experimentation.” Click Magazine.

DPI Magazine (2015)

Maine Home & Design (August 2013, May 2013, February 2013, December 2012, September 2012)

education

Low Residency Online Program, International Center for Photography (2017-2018)

MFA Semester 1, Maine Media Workshops (2016-2017)

Visual Books for Photographers, Cig Harvey, Maine Media Workshops (2017)

Personal Story, Cig Harvey, Maine Media Workshops (2016)

Dark Room Studies, Thurston Howes, Maine College of Art (2015)

MBA, University of Maine (2001)

B.A., Colby College (1996)

professional affiliations

ClickPro

The Griffin Museum of Photography

Portland Museum of Art

Website