Peter Ralston
When he was a young man finding his way in the world, award-winning photographer Peter Ralston was introduced to the beautiful and austere coast of Maine by his friends Andrew and Betsy Wyeth. It was an introduction that was to change his life forever.
“I grew up in the small Pennsylvania village of Chadds Ford. In 1957, Betsy and Andrew Wyeth
bought the other part of the old Quaker miller’s lands we lived on. As a child I spent a great deal of time at their house
and on the river and islands which gave our stretch of that lovely valley an intimacy which, coupled with my
sustained exposure to genius and accomplishment, set me on a lifetime’s course.
One day, when I was in my twenties, Andy asked if I would consider photographing his paintings — I agreed
to give it a try, and over the next few years became accomplished at reproduction photography. Even as it was good
“bread-and-butter” business, its greater yield was the intimacy I was accorded with great paintings (Wyeth and otherwise),
as well as extremely valuable experience with the technical and aesthetic processes of visual interpretation.”
In Maine’s coastal communities, and especially on the islands, Ralston found what every artist is looking for: a place to spend a creative lifetime, a subject that embodies every element of human experience.
“In 1978, Betsy and Andrew Wyeth invited me to visit them in Maine and, essentially,
I fell in love and never left … here I truly re-discovered “home.” Of all that Andy and Betsy have done for me,
that first introduction to Maine — its coast, islands and people — was the pivotal gift which
changed my life in remarkable ways.
My life has been graced by my friendship with this extraordinary family — I count them
high among my many blessings.”
Today, Ralston is one of the premier chroniclers and defenders of an enduring yet imperiled coastal way of life—a way marked by independence and interdependence, a way followed by men, women, and children of character and integrity.
In his rich, honest photographs, at once straightforward and subtle, Ralston captures every aspect of Maine’s coastal culture; the bond between a father who has spent his life hunting the fish of the sea and a son who can only hope to do the same; the poignant emptiness of a one-room island schoolhouse where children will never study again; the gathering menace of a summer thunderstorm on the water; the cycle of death and rebirth found in every tide pool.
Sightings: A Maine Coast Odyssey – 1997
An introduction by Christopher Crosman, former director of the Farnsworth Museum in Rockland, places Ralston in the tradition of great photographers who have found inspiration in the Maine landscape. In the text and captions accompanying this selection of 130 color photographs, Ralston invites us to share in the extraordinary artistic communion he has achieved with the people and places of Maine’s coast.
“Of all of the books with which I’ve been involved over the years, this one means more to me
than all the rest of them put together. It’s the culmination of the focused work of the past 18 years—a time
during which I weaned myself from the successful but less heartfelt photographic endeavors I was then pursuing,
a time during which I ‘went deep’ in one place. A time of rediscovering ‘home.’ My greatest hope is that Sightings
will give the reader pause to consider what, exactly, is special about the places which inform and cast our
lives—and that it will lead people to contemplate the unique qualities which yet exist here.
I sincerely hope you enjoy the book and am pleased to share this limited selection
of just a few of the 130 color plates.” —Peter Ralston
A collection of 62 limited edition prints from Sightings are available through Ralston Gallery. All prints in this edition are approximately 17 x 22 inches and printed either by Peter or by Nash Editions, the great atelier created by Graham Nash. Some of the more popular images in this collection are completely sold out or available only as artist’s proofs.
An Honorary Degree
At Colby College’s 2004 commencement ceremonies, Ralston received an honorary Doctor of Laws degree in recognition of his work as a photographer, environmentalist, and advocate for Maine’s coastal communities.
Colby President William Adams cited Ralston’s photographic work by saying, “We honor your devotion to things close to home, for your artistic talent in sharing those things with the world, and the record you have provided of a threatened coastal way of life.” Adams quoted Portland Museum of Art Director Daniel O’Leary as having called Ralston “the direct spiritual descendent of Winslow Homer in his loving and solemn response to the Maine coast and to the people who live in harmony alongside its austere beauty.”
Island Institute
Ralston co-founded the Island Institute in 1983 with Philip Conkling. For over 25 years, he served the Institute in various capacities, including but not limited to: oversight of developmental activities and the vision and direction of the Institute brand, participation in many of the Institute’s program initiatives and creative endeavors, as well the development and maintenance of a broad network of Institute constituents. Peter was intensely involved with the Institute’s $20M Sustaining a Way of Life capital campaign.
Peter conceived of the Maine Lights Program, a successful and novel approach to the deacquisitioning of historic Federal properties which has since re-defined the process in this country and abroad. Peter conceived of Islands of Maine Gallery, the precursor of Archipelago, the Institute’s retail store.
Peter has been Art Director of and principle photographer for Island Journal since its initial publication in 1983. He currently serves as Creative Projects Director at the Institute.
Professional Biography
Editorial Appearances
American Artist, American Art Review, American Heritage, Architectural Digest, Art and Antiques, Art-Talk, Audubon, Backpacker, Bangor Metro, Best of Photography – 1986, Boats and Harbors, Boston Globe, Café Review, Coastal Living, Condé Nast Traveler, Connoisseur, Country, Country Journal, Countryplace, Countryside, ART/Das Kunstmagazin, Discovery, Discovery Coast, Delaware Today, Down East, Ein Herz fur Tiere, Encyclopedia Brittanica, Energy Risk, Environmental History, Evening Magazine (TV), Fisherman’s Voice, Garden Design, Geo (American and German), Habitat, Horizon, House Beautiful, Islands, Island Journal, Journal of Family Practice, Journal of the National Medical Association, London Times, Maine Times, Martha Stewart Living, Mature Outlook, Metropolitan Home, National Fisherman, National Geographic, National Wildlife, New England Living, New England Monthly, New York Times, New York Times Magazine, Newsweek, Nissan Discovery, Oceans, Offshore, Outdoor Photographer, People, Philadelphia Magazine, Reader’s Digest Books, Sail, Smithsonian, Studio Photography, The Furrow, Time, Time-Life Books, Trailblazer, Us, US Air, Views, The Washingtonian, Weekly Reader, Wild Fibers, Women’s World, Yachting Library (Italy), Yankee, and others.
Honorary Degree
Doctor of Laws, Colby College, Waterville, Maine – May, 2003
Service
Island Institute, Rockland, Maine – Co-Founder, Executive Vice-President, currently serving as Creative Projects Director
Island Journal, Rockland, Maine – Art Director
Maine Media Workshops – Founding Trustee
Farnsworth Art Museum, Rockland, Maine – Trustee
Maine Lighthouse Museum, Rockland, Maine – Founding Trustee
Maine Coast Artists, Rockport, Maine – Trustee
Maine Film Commission – appointed by Governor Angus King
