Melonie Bennett's Debut Photobook 'Holy Cow!' Chronicles Two Decades of Family Life
Photographer Melonie Bennett (born 1969) releases her debut monograph, Holy Cow!, published by GOST Books. The 176-page book features 66 black-and-white images taken between 1990 and 2011, capturing the chaotic, humorous, and tender moments of her family's life on a 130-acre dairy farm in Gotham, Maine. Bennett, who assisted photographer Judy Glickman for over 30 years, sought the absurd and unexpected, documenting everything from Christmas celebrations and pregnancies to bike crashes and bee stings. The book includes anecdotes from her brother Merritt, and is dedicated to her mother, though it unfolds as an ode to her father, Fred, whose eccentricity and decline are central themes. Bennett's work is contextualized with quotes from poets Frank O'Hara and Hayden Carruth, and ends with a Marilyn Monroe quote. The publication is scheduled for UK/EU release on May 14 and US release in June, priced at £40. The review was written by Rowland Bagnall for The Art Newspaper.
Key facts
- Melonie Bennett's debut monograph 'Holy Cow!' is published by GOST Books.
- The book contains 176 pages and 66 black-and-white photographs.
- Photographs were taken between 1990 and 2011.
- The family farm is located in Gotham, Maine, and spans 130 acres.
- Bennett worked as an assistant to photographer Judy Glickman for over 30 years.
- The book is dedicated to Bennett's mother but focuses on her father, Fred.
- Publication dates: UK/EU May 14, US June.
- The book is priced at £40 (hardback).
Entities
Artists
- Melonie Bennett
- Judy Glickman
- Frank O'Hara
- Hayden Carruth
- Marilyn Monroe
- Diane Arbus
- Rowland Bagnall
- Merritt Bennett
- Judy Glickman Lauder
- Paul D'Amato
- Mary Ellen Mark
- Shelby Lee Adams
- Elliot Erwitt
- Duane Michals
- Richard Avedon
- Irving Penn
- Dorothea Lange
- Sally Mann
- Susan Meiselas
- Gordon Parks
Institutions
- GOST Books
- The Art Newspaper
- Maine College of Art
- Portland Museum of Art
- American Federation of Arts
- Norton Art Museum
- Maine Photographic Workshops
- Lenscratch
Locations
- Gotham
- Maine
- United Kingdom
- Europe
- United States
- Florida