The Newtons of Swanville
The BankRI Exhibit, October 13, 2006 - January 4, 2007.
THE NEWTONS OF SWANVILLE
"Photographer, educator and world traveler, John Hames is a soft-spoken man with a great deal to say. Although Hames is articulate and thoughtful, it is not his words, but his photographs that speak more powerfully. Hames cultivates a deep emotional bond with his subjects and builds on that bond to create multi-faceted photographs with unique viewpoints.
A former adjunct professor in photography at Rhode Island College and a teacher in the Rhode Island School of Design's Continuing Education Program, Hames has plans to travel to Beijing, China for a new adventure in teaching. He cites a six-month journey through Europe and Northern Africa as a life-changing experience. Yet it is a considerably short journey much closer to home that concerns the photographs exhibited here today. What follows is his account of a Maine adventure that resulted in a long photographic friendship."
- Paula Martesian, BankRI Gallery Director, October 2006.
"Driving into the countryside of Midcoast Maine during the summer of 1996, I came upon a mother and two children playing outside their bent and worn clapboard house ... in the middle of nowhere, I thought. I was lost, and so stopped to ask directions, and in no time at all was treated as a trusted friend instead of the stranger that I was. I was immediately wonover by the generosity and openness of this wonderful family. Incredibly, they allowed me to come back each day for nearly a week, while I began a photographic project that I refer to as the Newtons of Swanville.
For ten summers since, I have returned to witness and record a small part of the life of this family, in particular the children. Sally, the mother, and David, the father, are the gracious and generous parents of five wonderful children. The documentary project that has resulted (and is still engaging my efforts) reveals lives that are authentic, honorable, sincere, and natural. The images in this exhibit were made at the beginning of our friendship, during the first two summers of my visits, 1996 and 1997. "
- John Hames, August 2006
