Off The Wall Magazine Q&A with Nina Fuller
4/1/2019
Maine. I moved to Maine in 1972 after college. My goal was to live on a farm and be like Helen and Scott Nearing. I left the farm and the homemade everything in1976, and moved to the art scene in Portland, which was fun and hectic and out of control, perfect for a young photographer from New York.
Inspiration. My life, nature and the nature of things, every season, all the weathers, people’s interaction with the animals, the barn, and the light inspire me. Natural light drives me and I prefer to depend on the whims of nature to guide me.
Medium. My camera. I started out studying painting in art school but I have been drawn to the camera since I was a child.
Artist Hero. The book The Family of Man was a big influence. The W. Eugene Smith photo of two little kids walking into the light sticks in my head. I was also influenced by photographers like Bill Rauhauser, Garry Winogrand, and Bruce Davidson. Dorothea Lange was a role model, and I’ve paid attention to Annie Leibovitz since her Rolling Stone days.
Studio. My studio is my farm now. I spend a lot of time caring for my animals and observing them. Also, watching the light come through the windows, and knowing what time of day the light comes through specific windows into the old barn.
Where in Maine. In 2004, I moved to Hollis and started raising sheep. I like the fact that I am a tad isolated out here and that Hollis has not caught up to the other bedroom towns around Portland. There are a lot of artists out here that pretty much keep to themselves.
Fun Fact. I used to work in a topless bar in Washington, D.C.—as a waitress who kept her top on.
Education. I went to Silvermine College of Art in New Canaan, Connecticut, and studied photography with John Cohen. I received my BA from George Washington University, and my MA from Prescott College.
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