American Bedroom by Barbara Peacock

an exhibition and a new book.

December 13 - January 31

Opening Reception: Friday, December 13, 5-8 pm

MMPA IS HAPPY TO INCLUDE THE BAXTER SOCIETY AS PART OF THIS EXHIBITION’S CELEBRATION + BOOK SIGNING.

In the summer of 2016, an article in The Guardian introduced me to Barbara Peacock's extraordinary photographic journey. Her Getty grant-funded project was ambitious and profound: traveling across the United States to capture Americans in their most personal space—their bedrooms. Once we hung the initial collection, MMPA knew we were witnessing something remarkable and the feedback and support for Peacocks project was tremendous. I began advocating for her work and writing recommendations. Our promise to her was simple: when her years-long odyssey concluded and her book was complete, we would showcase the entire body of work. These photographs  are a testament to the diversity, vulnerability, and resilience of American life. Each frame tells a story of individual hope, identity and grit. Peacock's lens captures contemporary America in the raw, unfiltered humanity that speaks to our shared experience. We are honored to share these timely photographs, inviting viewers to see our collective story reflected in these deeply personal spaces. - Denise Froehlich, Director of MMPA

Barbara Peacock, Sven and Nicole, From the American Bedroom portfolio, 1/25, 2018, Inkjet print, 60 x 40 inches, $1,800. for a print (Mounted display NFS)

‘WE ARE TATTERED AND DISTRESSED, EMOTIONALLY WIPED, JUST LOST A BABY, AND REPAIRING OUR RELATIONSHIP. WE WERE MADE FOR EACH OTHER FROM ACROSS THE OCEANS, WE FOUND EACH OTHER ‘

-SVEN AND NICOLE

ARTIST TALKS AND BOOK SIGNING: FRIDAY, JANUARY 10, 5-8PM

BARBARA PEACOCK WILL BE READING FROM AMERICAN BEDROOM.

HENRI PIERRE CORBACHO WILL BE READING FROM HIS FIRST NOVEL, OF MANY LANDS.

Jodi Colella will speak about her Beasts Collection

Barbara Peacock

Barbara Peacock, Works from the American Bedroom Portfolio, 1/25, 2024, Inkjet print, 40 x 60 inches, $1,800. each

Barbara Peacock, Works from the American Bedroom Portfolio, 1/25, 2024, Inkjet print, 20 x 30 inches, $950. each

American Bedroom, the book by Barbara Peacock

Barbara Peacock, American Bedroom, 2024, Hardcover book, 208 pages, 90 color illustrations, 31.5 x 23 cm, $75.00

American Bedroom is an unfiltered poetic photographic journey viewing Americans in their most intimate dwelling: the bedroom. The nature of the project is unguarded portraits of individuals, couples, and families that reveal the depth of their character, truth, and spirit. The images are paired with quotes from each subject and are full of subtle details that invite us to contemplate the idiosyncrasies of each enigmatic life. Barbara Peacock is a photographer and director living in Portland, Maine. Since having started American Bedroom in 2016, she has won the Getty Editorial Grant, the Women Photograph/Getty Grant, three LensCulture Awards, four Top 50 Critical Mass Awards, and was named one of the Top 100 Photographers in America 2020.

Barbara Peacock, Works from the American Bedroom Portfolio, 1/25, 2024, Inkjet print, 13 x 19 inches, $650. each

‘I love you with every atom! You are the tranquility of a calm stream and the excitement of a waterfall. You bring me all my favorite feelings. Forever isn’t long enough with you.’

- Hope (she/her/he/him age 16) and Kurt (he/him age 17), Homer Alaska

Nature of the Beast Collection by Jodi Colella

Jodi Colella, Avarice, 2016, Found toys + objects, embroidery, assorted fibers, 5 x 6 x 4 and 8 x 10 x 5 inches, $325. each

The Nature of the beast is comprised of stuffed dogs, distributed by Victoria Secret, that are reconstructed and combined with found object to become surreal whimsical beasts- innocent toys tinged with a pinch of darkness. Embellished with embroidery, an act identified with the feminine, they embody vulnerabilities about self-image, identity, gender, ethnicity and status. - J.C.

“ A recent fellowship in a remote village in China was an inspirational experience, leading Colella to reflect on Chinese cultural history and inspiring her to create an array of timeless, poignant stuffed ”beasts”. These odd, decorated creatures have both a weighty, tactile solid and an sense of wounded fragility. They look, to an extent, like they suffer. They are, in many ways, out of whack.” - J.C.