Fisherman Jeff Dworsky's Selkie-Inspired Photobook Republished
Charcoal Press has reissued Jeff Dworsky's debut photobook, 'Sealskin.' At 14, he left school, purchased a Leica camera at 15, and by 16, he was fishing on a secluded island in Maine. This book features his Kodachrome images from the 1970s and 1980s, capturing family dynamics and the fishing community of a small Maine village. Ten years ago, photographer Jesse Lenz stumbled upon Dworsky's work in a coffee shop on an island in Penobscot Bay. Lenz admires Dworsky as the epitome of an artist who immerses himself in life, creating art as a natural outcome. His photographs, particularly of his wife and children, evoke a mysterious essence reminiscent of the selkie legends of the Faroe Islands. After Dworsky's wife departed the island, his artistic direction shifted. Selkies, mythical beings that transition between seal and human forms, often engage romantically with humans, reflecting aspects of Dworsky's own experiences. The new printing of 'Sealskin' revives this portrayal of a once-vibrant coastal community.
Key facts
- Jeff Dworsky dropped out of school at 14, bought a Leica at 15, and moved to a small island in Maine at 16 to become a fisherman.
- Photographer Jesse Lenz had a chance encounter with Dworsky in a coffee shop on a remote Maine island in Penobscot Bay ten years ago.
- Dworsky captured his life on the island using a Leica and Kodachrome film since the 1970s.
- Dworsky's photos focus on his wife and young children.
- Lenz compared Dworsky's depiction of his wife to the statue of Kópakonan, a legendary selkie on the island of Kalsoy in the Faroe Islands.
- Dworsky's ex-wife left the island, but Dworsky stayed.
- Selkies are mythological creatures that can shapeshift between seal and human forms.
- 'Sealskin' is published by Charcoal Press.
Entities
Artists
- Jeff Dworsky
- Jesse Lenz
Institutions
- Charcoal Press
- PetaPixel
Locations
- Maine
- Penobscot Bay
- Kalsoy
- Faroe Islands