ARTFEED — Contemporary Art Intelligence

Melonie Bennett's 'Holy Cow!' Published by GOST Books

publication · 2026-05-17

GOST Books has released 'Holy Cow!', the first monograph by photographer Melonie Bennett, spanning the 1990s and early 2000s. The work documents her family life on a dairy farm in Maine, capturing candid, humorous, and intimate moments. Bennett used a Pentax K1000 with a fixed 35mm lens and a Vivitar 283 flash. The book includes recollections by her brother Merritt. Bennett's photographs will appear in the traveling exhibition 'PRESENCE: The Photography Collection of Judy Glickman Lauder', co-organized by the Portland Museum of Art and the American Federation of Arts. The title 'Holy Cow!' was inspired by a shirt worn by her brother-in-law. Bennett lives and works in Maine and graduated from Maine College of Art.

Key facts

  • GOST Books published Melonie Bennett's first monograph 'Holy Cow!'
  • The photographs span the 1990s and early 2000s
  • Bennett grew up on a dairy farm in Maine
  • She used a Pentax K1000 with a 35mm lens and Vivitar 283 flash
  • The book includes captions and stories by her brother Merritt
  • Her work will be in the traveling exhibition 'PRESENCE' co-organized by Portland Museum of Art and American Federation of Arts
  • The title 'Holy Cow!' came from a shirt worn by her brother-in-law
  • Bennett graduated from Maine College of Art with a BFA in Photography

Entities

Artists

  • Melonie Bennett
  • Merritt Bennett
  • Judy Glickman Lauder
  • Paul D'Amato
  • Mary Ellen Mark
  • Diane Arbus
  • Shelby Lee Adams
  • Elliot Erwitt
  • Duane Michals
  • Richard Avedon
  • Irving Penn
  • Dorothea Lange
  • Sally Mann
  • Susan Meiselas
  • Gordon Parks

Institutions

  • GOST Books
  • Maine College of Art
  • Portland Museum of Art
  • American Federation of Arts
  • Norton Art Museum
  • Maine Photographic Workshops
  • Lenscratch

Locations

  • Maine
  • United States
  • Florida

Sources