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Barbara Peacock: Behind Closed Doors

12 FOR OUR 12TH
BARBARA PEACOCK
BARBARA PEACOCK: SELECTIONS FROM AMERICAN BEDROOM AND HOMETOWN
MAINE MUSEUM OF PHOTOGRAPHIC ARTS. USM GLICKMAN LIBRARY 314 FOREST AVENUE PORTLAND, MAINE THROUGH MAY 19
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
BARBARAPEACOCK.COM

by Taryn Plumb

She is the very image of a gypsy goddess: Spiraling dirty blonde hair, bra top and short shorts, draped atop a heap of blankets in the back of a pop-up camper, exhaling a willowy puff from a cigarette.

Scattered around her: an ashtray overflowing with cigarette butts, empty travel mugs and juice cans, an errant flip-flop, chili pepper string lights, drug paraphernalia.

Her name is Jessica, and an accompanying statement to her portrait reflects the Milford, N.H. 18-year-old’s carefree spirit: “Sometimes life throws you in all sorts of directions, the most important part about life is to remember you are exactly where you need to be.”

Barbara Peacock wants to know: What’s in your bedroom? This question has prompted her to travel across the country to photograph people in one of their most intimate of spaces for a project she’s aptly titled “American Bedroom.”

“It’s the raw honesty of people in America: A depiction of them in their dwelling,” said the Portland-based artist. “We really get a peek into the lives of common, everyday people. It can reveal things to us.”

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Check out more of Peacock's unique and thought-provoking work here. (She is also seeking out grants and looking for more photo subjects; contact her for more info!)