i don't recognize the Alaska that's being represented in the media the past few days. our newest Alaskan export is not doing us proud. she is a caricature at best, and does not represent me, period.
but, tonight she has me thinking of a great Alaskan women.
from Two in the Far North:
"Here in Alaska people still count, as much today as in the twenties. I would love to think the world will survive its obsession with machines to see a day when people respect one another all over the world. It seems clear as a shaft of the Aurora that this is our only hope. My prayer is that Alaska will not lose the heart-nourishing friendliness of her youth-that her people will always care for one another, her towns remain friendly and not completely ruled by the dollar-and that her great wild places will remain great, and wild, and free, where wolf and caribou, wolverine and grizzly bear, and all the arctic blossoms may live on in delicate balance which supported them long before impetuous man appeared in the North.
This is the great gift Alaska can give to the harassed world."
- Margaret Murie (1902-2003)
Showing posts with label alaska. Show all posts
Showing posts with label alaska. Show all posts
Oct 7, 2008
Jul 26, 2008
company and the landscape
as a general rule i shoot by myself. i feed on the quiet of my surroundings, and the deafening possibilities in my head. the people i meet out on the road are my friends. twenty minutes at a time- fleeting semi-anonymous relationships.
sometimes though, i can get too involved with the singularity of it all, and i lose sight of the plot. when Dennis proposed that we make a quick trip north together a couple weeks ago, it couldn't have come at a better time.
Dennis knew that i've been struggling a bit with my landscapes (by a bit i mean that i can't seem to get out of my own way). it feels like i can't see them because there is too much to see. he reckons i'm scared of the space. i reckon he's right.
his company, and insight, this past weekend was just what the doctor ordered. i propose no exaggeration when i say that Dennis is a master with the horizon. thirty years of studying Alaska through the ground glass of his Deardorf has earned him a refined brilliance. watching him work was priceless.
i created some solid photos this trip, i'm fairly confident of that, but to be honest, if all of the film came back botched i would still count this trip a success. as singular as i believe i am, truth is i need trips like this. two guys careening down dirt roads in a van full of film, listening to Dylan, talking shit about photography, books, the state of Alaskan art, the price of oil ($5.60/gl in Coldfoot), music, anything. everything.
this blog has proved to be an indispensable outlet over he years. i've made good friends here (always seems strange to say that), but nothing can replace the good old fashioned road trip. so, anyone want to come up to Alaska and hit the road?
bring your mosquito dope...
Jul 6, 2008
the farthest north ...
i just got back from taking Pella for a walk. as we walked, i watched the rain creaping in from the North, and became unusually aware of the UHAUL sign that sat at the bottom of my view. i tried to put myself somewhere else other than on the bike path along the expressway, but it wasn't happening. the giant squares of U, H, A, U and L were all i could see after a while.
this UHAUL store is not just any UHAUL store, it's the farthest north UHAUL store. says so right there in the window. we love that moniker here in Fairbanks. across the street we have the farthest north Walmart (now a newly anointed superWalmart) flanked by the farthest north Lowe's and the farthest north Home Depot. a newly built Holiday Inn Express opens in August, the farthest north Holiday in Express. across the street from that is the farthest north McDonald's (much to the chagrin of the previous farthest north McDonald's 1/2 mile to the south). Fairbanks is home to the farthest north Chili's, and Old Navy...okay, you get the point.
my favorite farthest north landmark? the farthest north stop light, less than a mile from my place. over half of the state exists above the latitude of that light.
objects in your mirror are closer than they appear.
listening to Bon Iver
this UHAUL store is not just any UHAUL store, it's the farthest north UHAUL store. says so right there in the window. we love that moniker here in Fairbanks. across the street we have the farthest north Walmart (now a newly anointed superWalmart) flanked by the farthest north Lowe's and the farthest north Home Depot. a newly built Holiday Inn Express opens in August, the farthest north Holiday in Express. across the street from that is the farthest north McDonald's (much to the chagrin of the previous farthest north McDonald's 1/2 mile to the south). Fairbanks is home to the farthest north Chili's, and Old Navy...okay, you get the point.
my favorite farthest north landmark? the farthest north stop light, less than a mile from my place. over half of the state exists above the latitude of that light.
objects in your mirror are closer than they appear.
listening to Bon Iver
Mar 31, 2008
Historic Photos of Alaska
local author, and historian, Dermot Cole has released a new book entitled Historic Photos of Alaska. i've professed my love of late 1800s/early 1900s photos of Alaska before, and i'm pleased to see Dermot pull together dozens of strong images for this volume.
as with any book that aims to capture the entire state in a single volume, it bends a bit under the weight of its own ambition, but its a solid effort. without Dermot, there would be a significant void in documented Alaska history.
from the book:
p 113, Height of Grain
p 45-45, Trapper
as with any book that aims to capture the entire state in a single volume, it bends a bit under the weight of its own ambition, but its a solid effort. without Dermot, there would be a significant void in documented Alaska history.
from the book:
p 113, Height of Grain
p 45-45, Trapper
Dec 26, 2007
white
back from Hatcher Pass, and missing it already. just when we started to get our skis under us, it was time to pack up and head back north.
after five hours in the car, we were greeted late Christmas Eve with a nearly full moon, a clear sky, and above zero temperatures at the pass. the lot at the top was empty. with the exception of the inn keeper at the lodge, we had the entire bowl to ourselves the entire next day. nice surprise.
a few photos from our ski on Christmas day...
the fog began approaching as we finished our breakfast. we got just ahead of it, but were engulfed about 30 minutes into our first ascent. our cabin, and the lodge, is just visible below.
facing South into the most sun we would see all day.
looking back North at the remnants of Independence Mine
listening to Death in Vegas (and watching tele videos)
after five hours in the car, we were greeted late Christmas Eve with a nearly full moon, a clear sky, and above zero temperatures at the pass. the lot at the top was empty. with the exception of the inn keeper at the lodge, we had the entire bowl to ourselves the entire next day. nice surprise.
a few photos from our ski on Christmas day...
the fog began approaching as we finished our breakfast. we got just ahead of it, but were engulfed about 30 minutes into our first ascent. our cabin, and the lodge, is just visible below.
facing South into the most sun we would see all day.
looking back North at the remnants of Independence Mine
listening to Death in Vegas (and watching tele videos)
Dec 19, 2007
Jonathan Harris
it dropped to -40°F today. a perfect day to stare into the glowing abyss that is my monitor. this morning i found a great distraction (through Fairbanks, turned DC, journalist R.A. Dillon)...
so, if it's cold where you are..belly up to the monitor and get lost in Jonathon Harris' photos of a Barrow whale hunt. his slick site shows no less than 3,214 photos- taken at no longer than 5 minute intervals. this is an interesting project, but it's taken some time for me to put it in perspective. warning- you may not be able to leave.
read about the project here.
see the photos here.
see Johnathon talk at the TED conference here.
also, accompanying Harris was Russia photographer Andrew Moore.
ok..i'm slowly stepping away from my machine now.
© Jonathan Harris
listening to Sun Kill Moon.
so, if it's cold where you are..belly up to the monitor and get lost in Jonathon Harris' photos of a Barrow whale hunt. his slick site shows no less than 3,214 photos- taken at no longer than 5 minute intervals. this is an interesting project, but it's taken some time for me to put it in perspective. warning- you may not be able to leave.
read about the project here.
see the photos here.
see Johnathon talk at the TED conference here.
also, accompanying Harris was Russia photographer Andrew Moore.
ok..i'm slowly stepping away from my machine now.
© Jonathan Harris
listening to Sun Kill Moon.
Nov 28, 2007
too dark...must read..
the onset of darkness during the winter always pushes me toward books. i recoil. i get weary of thinking in circles about things that seem trivial when the sun shines, and i need to replace the words i repeat to myself with the words of someone more precise.
my stack of Alaska books on my winter reading list is growing unmanageable. it's funny; when i lived in Colorado i didn't seek out Colorado authors (although i did read quite a bit of Wyoming with Ehrlich and Galvin), and i'm afraid i couldn't name an Iowan book with a gun to my head. this, i regret. but, my need to read Alaskan authors runs deep. i guess it's still my uneasiness about knowing this place. but, with every photo i take i come closer. i'm coming to the realization that if i can understand the Interior and North alone i may have to be satisfied. i've got a lot of work to do.
the question that has nagged at me lately, and one i've been searching for in the books i've been reading is - when are we Alaskan? i don't think just having a 907 area code does it. i know many people here that know no more about Alaska than what the coffee table books at Walmart tell them. i'm wondering lately what unit of measurement is used. i'm unclear, but i do know that as a photographer the requirements for finding something greater are, well, greater.
just when i think i have it down, i think of my good friend (and author) Ned Rozell and my theories get all mashed up. if i used him as a yardstick in my quest to be a true Alaskan i know i would come up miles short, and probably just miss being a man as well. he's true grit.
so, what is it? and more importantly, what does it mean to be a photographer, or an artist in any medium, in Alaska? what are the responsibilities? what qualities do we possess to add to the discussion? aside from geography, what do own to be a part of the dialogue? how do we avoid wholly the clichés and the tourist vistas? what is the cocktail of ingredients? i'm getting a handle on it i think, but it's worth asking the question. it feels like the clichés have been bastardized, and then trademarked, as the truth.
so, back to books. i've been reading John Haines' Living off the Country this week. his book of essays is a much needed steel toe kick in the sweet spot. his criticism and sharp pen is such a refreshing companion to the November darkness.
the following is an excerpt from his essay The Writer as Alaskan: Beginnings and Reflections:
It is not only the land itself that faces us in the North today, as real as that is, but the entire drama of European life on this continent reenacted at a place that leaves us stunned and gasping. The experience is hard to come to grips with; there are few names for it, and too many old responses. We see Alaska through clichés to save us from thinking: "The Last Frontier,""The Great Land." What do these really mean, aside from a great opportunity to grab? "North to the Future," that preposterous slogan once flaunted on the state auto license plates: the whole thing is a travel agent's invention. There is no place called Alaska, just as there is hardly anything today that can be identified as California. But of course there was, and is, such a place, though it can scarcely be found any longer for what we have done to it, and are beginning to do here. What i read about Alaska in magazines is for the most part the superficial message of the tourist-he who comes to gape, but not to understand.
How long might it take a people living here to be at home in their landscape, and to produce from that experience things that could be recognized anywhere as literature of the first rank? Several hundred years? A few generations? we know from history how long a people have lived in a land and then found ways to express that living in song and other forms of art. Closeness is needed, long residence, surrender, abandonment, or just a sense of somehow being stuck with it. whatever it is that is needed, it can't be merely willed. And much of what we say about it will be conditional; in the end it will depend on the right circumstances and on the genius of a few individuals who know what they want to do, and whose material and direction can not be predicted. All we can do is to project a few apparent needs and conditions.
- John Haines
my stack of Alaska books on my winter reading list is growing unmanageable. it's funny; when i lived in Colorado i didn't seek out Colorado authors (although i did read quite a bit of Wyoming with Ehrlich and Galvin), and i'm afraid i couldn't name an Iowan book with a gun to my head. this, i regret. but, my need to read Alaskan authors runs deep. i guess it's still my uneasiness about knowing this place. but, with every photo i take i come closer. i'm coming to the realization that if i can understand the Interior and North alone i may have to be satisfied. i've got a lot of work to do.
the question that has nagged at me lately, and one i've been searching for in the books i've been reading is - when are we Alaskan? i don't think just having a 907 area code does it. i know many people here that know no more about Alaska than what the coffee table books at Walmart tell them. i'm wondering lately what unit of measurement is used. i'm unclear, but i do know that as a photographer the requirements for finding something greater are, well, greater.
just when i think i have it down, i think of my good friend (and author) Ned Rozell and my theories get all mashed up. if i used him as a yardstick in my quest to be a true Alaskan i know i would come up miles short, and probably just miss being a man as well. he's true grit.
so, what is it? and more importantly, what does it mean to be a photographer, or an artist in any medium, in Alaska? what are the responsibilities? what qualities do we possess to add to the discussion? aside from geography, what do own to be a part of the dialogue? how do we avoid wholly the clichés and the tourist vistas? what is the cocktail of ingredients? i'm getting a handle on it i think, but it's worth asking the question. it feels like the clichés have been bastardized, and then trademarked, as the truth.
so, back to books. i've been reading John Haines' Living off the Country this week. his book of essays is a much needed steel toe kick in the sweet spot. his criticism and sharp pen is such a refreshing companion to the November darkness.
the following is an excerpt from his essay The Writer as Alaskan: Beginnings and Reflections:
It is not only the land itself that faces us in the North today, as real as that is, but the entire drama of European life on this continent reenacted at a place that leaves us stunned and gasping. The experience is hard to come to grips with; there are few names for it, and too many old responses. We see Alaska through clichés to save us from thinking: "The Last Frontier,""The Great Land." What do these really mean, aside from a great opportunity to grab? "North to the Future," that preposterous slogan once flaunted on the state auto license plates: the whole thing is a travel agent's invention. There is no place called Alaska, just as there is hardly anything today that can be identified as California. But of course there was, and is, such a place, though it can scarcely be found any longer for what we have done to it, and are beginning to do here. What i read about Alaska in magazines is for the most part the superficial message of the tourist-he who comes to gape, but not to understand.
How long might it take a people living here to be at home in their landscape, and to produce from that experience things that could be recognized anywhere as literature of the first rank? Several hundred years? A few generations? we know from history how long a people have lived in a land and then found ways to express that living in song and other forms of art. Closeness is needed, long residence, surrender, abandonment, or just a sense of somehow being stuck with it. whatever it is that is needed, it can't be merely willed. And much of what we say about it will be conditional; in the end it will depend on the right circumstances and on the genius of a few individuals who know what they want to do, and whose material and direction can not be predicted. All we can do is to project a few apparent needs and conditions.
- John Haines
Nov 20, 2007
Jennifer Boomer
happy to see, today, that Jennifer Boomer is an '07 winner of Jen Bekman's Hot Shot! competition.
Jennifer's body of work was produced down in the Aleutians, in the very burly Dutch Harbor. i've been a great appreciator of her work since we spoke over email several months ago. we tried to meet up a while back when she was in Fairbanks visiting friends, but Dea and i were in Anchorage at the time. unfortunate, as meeting other photographers from far off corners of the state is not easy, let alone the Aleutians.
seeing great work coming out of Alaska always gets me all worked up. and, it's so good to see solid color photographs of Alaska, that aren't stock photos of Denali from Wonder Lake.
cheers to you Jennifer.
© Jennifer Boomer
Jennifer's body of work was produced down in the Aleutians, in the very burly Dutch Harbor. i've been a great appreciator of her work since we spoke over email several months ago. we tried to meet up a while back when she was in Fairbanks visiting friends, but Dea and i were in Anchorage at the time. unfortunate, as meeting other photographers from far off corners of the state is not easy, let alone the Aleutians.
seeing great work coming out of Alaska always gets me all worked up. and, it's so good to see solid color photographs of Alaska, that aren't stock photos of Denali from Wonder Lake.
cheers to you Jennifer.
© Jennifer Boomer
Sep 30, 2007
quick trip to the Yukon River
it was a busy weekend around here, but i managed to get up north on Saturday. just as i was getting into a groove with the 8x10, Dennis let me barrow his Linhof for a few weeks. it's, without a doubt the finest piece of metal i've ever had my hands on. i was inspired, and the pull of the Dalton was too great. it's been too long since i've been up there. we didn't have much time, but Dea and i headed up to the Yukon River on Saturday morning.
getting to the Yukon feels good, but it's but a sliver of the Dalton's length. the road doesn't really begin to get interesting until after you cross the river, but the familiarity of the road was soothing.
moose hunting season is still on, and i met several hunters coming off the water. Dea and Pella walked down the river, saw grizzly tracks, enjoyed the sunshine, and i made portraits. Dea has come along on a few shooting expeditions over the years. she's the only one i feel comfortable shooting around.
she took this photo of me listening to Dave as i set up. he's lived in Fairbanks for 20 years. every year he takes three weeks to boat down river 210 miles to his homestead camp near Tanana. he, his dad, mother, and wife came back with two moose.
© dea
listening to Modern Skirts
getting to the Yukon feels good, but it's but a sliver of the Dalton's length. the road doesn't really begin to get interesting until after you cross the river, but the familiarity of the road was soothing.
moose hunting season is still on, and i met several hunters coming off the water. Dea and Pella walked down the river, saw grizzly tracks, enjoyed the sunshine, and i made portraits. Dea has come along on a few shooting expeditions over the years. she's the only one i feel comfortable shooting around.
she took this photo of me listening to Dave as i set up. he's lived in Fairbanks for 20 years. every year he takes three weeks to boat down river 210 miles to his homestead camp near Tanana. he, his dad, mother, and wife came back with two moose.
© dealistening to Modern Skirts
Sep 21, 2007
silence
i've been up to the the museum twice this week to see On The Edge, because i can't shake this photo by Erica Lord.
"Silence" 40x32 © Erica Lord
the show runs through next week.
"Silence" 40x32 © Erica Lord
the show runs through next week.
Sep 18, 2007
history
Dea and i watched Rosemary's Baby this weekend for the first time. not sure why it took so long, but worth seeing for sure. it's a great movie of it's time, with hundreds of bits of film that would make beautiful stills. one scene caught me off guard though, and made us laugh:
from a conversation between Guy and Roman...
"Do you come from Australia?
Oh, no, I'm from right here in New York.
I've been there, though. I've been everywhere.
You name a place and I've been there. Go ahead, name a place.
Fairbanks, Alaska!
I've been there, all over Alaska...
Fairbanks, Juneau, Anchorage,
Nome, Sitka, Seward.
- Went there in '38..."
Fairbanks in 1938.. oil was discovered on the North Slope in 1968, incidentally the year the film was made. Fairbanks would become a much different place soon after. a boom was imminent. but, in 1938 the town was on a precipice. Fort Wainwright was complete in '39 (increasing the Army population from 10 to over 2,000), and the AlCan was completed in '40 (the only road in, or out, of Alaska). i imagine 1938 was a fine time to be in Fairbanks.
we're all fortunate to have an archive of Alaskan images being continually maintained by the Digital Services department of the Rasmusan Library at UAF . from time to time i get lost on this site. they have thousands of images of a romantic time in the history of this great state - a time before statehood, Walmart, Don Young or Uncle Ted.
i love early 1900s photographs from the Interior. a few of my favorites from today can be seen below - the entire archive can be found here.
all images property of the Elmer E. Rasmusan Library
from a conversation between Guy and Roman...
"Do you come from Australia?
Oh, no, I'm from right here in New York.
I've been there, though. I've been everywhere.
You name a place and I've been there. Go ahead, name a place.
Fairbanks, Alaska!
I've been there, all over Alaska...
Fairbanks, Juneau, Anchorage,
Nome, Sitka, Seward.
- Went there in '38..."
Fairbanks in 1938.. oil was discovered on the North Slope in 1968, incidentally the year the film was made. Fairbanks would become a much different place soon after. a boom was imminent. but, in 1938 the town was on a precipice. Fort Wainwright was complete in '39 (increasing the Army population from 10 to over 2,000), and the AlCan was completed in '40 (the only road in, or out, of Alaska). i imagine 1938 was a fine time to be in Fairbanks.
we're all fortunate to have an archive of Alaskan images being continually maintained by the Digital Services department of the Rasmusan Library at UAF . from time to time i get lost on this site. they have thousands of images of a romantic time in the history of this great state - a time before statehood, Walmart, Don Young or Uncle Ted.
i love early 1900s photographs from the Interior. a few of my favorites from today can be seen below - the entire archive can be found here.
all images property of the Elmer E. Rasmusan Library
Aug 22, 2007
the geese know
it's been warm here lately. unseasonably warm. 80 degrees in August is a bit worrisome, but we've been loving it. we're lapping up the last minutes of summer ferociously - biking out the Denali Park road, climbing around on Gulkana Glacier, backpacking, salmon on the grill and beers with friends, picking gallons of wild blueberries - enjoying the last bits of summer. It's been easy to get tricked into thinking that the summer is still young.
earlier this week, though, I awoke to the sound of geese flying South. morning and night, teams of them are skipping town. they lift off from Creamer's Field and fly, in formation, right by our bedroom window. they know it's time.
i've been a bit delinquent with updates here, as i've been out soaking it all up. although i'll miss summer, i love fall here, and the cool weather has me anxious. i'm shooting again, and finding a rhythm. i'll post some new work soon. the shorter days bring sublime light.
listening to A.C. Newman
earlier this week, though, I awoke to the sound of geese flying South. morning and night, teams of them are skipping town. they lift off from Creamer's Field and fly, in formation, right by our bedroom window. they know it's time.
i've been a bit delinquent with updates here, as i've been out soaking it all up. although i'll miss summer, i love fall here, and the cool weather has me anxious. i'm shooting again, and finding a rhythm. i'll post some new work soon. the shorter days bring sublime light.
listening to A.C. Newman
Aug 10, 2007
quiet around here
sorry for the lack of posting recently. i've been struggling with things a bit lately. editing, and beginning to print, some images from 'Denali' have my perception a little skewed. sometimes when i'm struggling, i put up a fight and in effect struggle harder - making it all worse. stop, step back, relax...then it all works it's way out. i never see this soon enough however.
i've been thinking a lot about Alaska photography lately: mine and others. i'm accused on occasion of not really photographing Alaska. not making those images of association that can only be made here. there are some points there to be made i suppose. i tend to ignore such comments, until i find myself feeling stale. i think that's where i'm at right now. in September i'll make another trip North to work out more direction on An Impossible Road. not a moment too soon.
thinking about Alaska, looking at maps, spending some time with the google, and all along the ever relevant humble arts foundation was highlighting the work of Corey Arnold. his photos of crab fishing on the Bering Sea honestly, floored me. cut me off at my knees! makes me sick with admiration. i want to call in dead to my day job, point my boots north, stick out my thumb, and just be gone. he's captured it.
all images copyright Corey Arnold
humble also has a great interview with Corey.
listening to The Whipsaws
i've been thinking a lot about Alaska photography lately: mine and others. i'm accused on occasion of not really photographing Alaska. not making those images of association that can only be made here. there are some points there to be made i suppose. i tend to ignore such comments, until i find myself feeling stale. i think that's where i'm at right now. in September i'll make another trip North to work out more direction on An Impossible Road. not a moment too soon.
thinking about Alaska, looking at maps, spending some time with the google, and all along the ever relevant humble arts foundation was highlighting the work of Corey Arnold. his photos of crab fishing on the Bering Sea honestly, floored me. cut me off at my knees! makes me sick with admiration. i want to call in dead to my day job, point my boots north, stick out my thumb, and just be gone. he's captured it.
all images copyright Corey Arnold
humble also has a great interview with Corey.
listening to The Whipsaws
Jul 30, 2007
Denali Highway
a few images from this past weekend. Alaska doesn't get much better than Denali Highway this time of year, and difficult to put into words. to be honest i spent more time playing than shooting, but a few images none the less...
Gulkana Glacier
Dea and Pella in one of countless alpine lakes on the ridge
hike of Mclaren summit
Dea, early morning at the summmit
Dea, sleeping
listening to Johnny Cash
Gulkana Glacier
Dea and Pella in one of countless alpine lakes on the ridge
hike of Mclaren summit
Dea, early morning at the summmit
Dea, sleeping
listening to Johnny Cash
Jun 5, 2007
ALASKA
it seems that i always reflect in the days leading up to a trip- typically thinking about the time spent between the last trip outside. i'm pained to say that i've been thinking more lately than acting on said thoughts- a sort of self imposed paralysis of growth. i haven't been seeing clearly or shooting clearly.
better things are ahead.
the prospect of Dea getting well, and able to enjoy Alaska again makes me happy. being here has been a struggle for her the past several months. of course, she wouldn't have it any other way. but, we've always said that if it ever became dangerous for her to live here, or more realistically too expensive, we would leave. we would just pack our things and go. with great regret, but certain in our direction, we would just go.
the thought of leaving left me empty today. too many photos to make, and things to see. i've taken too much for granted. my photography, my voice, is begging to be taken a new direction, but i've been holding back. upon our return, it's time to let it ride. now or never.
an image from last summer:
fog rolling atop Pinnell Mtn. July 2006, 1:00am
listening to Afghan Whigs
better things are ahead.
the prospect of Dea getting well, and able to enjoy Alaska again makes me happy. being here has been a struggle for her the past several months. of course, she wouldn't have it any other way. but, we've always said that if it ever became dangerous for her to live here, or more realistically too expensive, we would leave. we would just pack our things and go. with great regret, but certain in our direction, we would just go.
the thought of leaving left me empty today. too many photos to make, and things to see. i've taken too much for granted. my photography, my voice, is begging to be taken a new direction, but i've been holding back. upon our return, it's time to let it ride. now or never.
an image from last summer:
fog rolling atop Pinnell Mtn. July 2006, 1:00am
listening to Afghan Whigs
Apr 5, 2007
James Barker
i had the good fortune of sitting in on a lecture, and slide show, by Jim Barker today up at the university. Charles asked me last week if i wanted to sit in on his class, as i had asked about Jim recently. of course, i jumped at the opportunity.
Jim's book Always Getting Ready is the cornerstone of all Alaska books in my opinion.
his access to the Yu'pik people is based on a trust that almost seems impossible when you look at his photographs- it's hard to believe him not Native himself. he brings a level of respect and honesty to his photography that many attempt, but seldom accomplish. Jim lived in the community of Bethel for many years, working out of a dry dark room, and documenting Native seal hunts, dances, and the daily life of those that thrive in a subsistence lifestyle. Bethel has the highest population of Native Americans than any other community in America, and it's a world that is gravely misunderstood. his work is important on so many levels.
i'm so enamored by his nurturing of the photo essay- the series. he showed four separate bodies of work, none that i was familiar with, other than Always Getting Ready. he's a tragically underrated photographer outside of Alaska i'm afraid. i urge anyone to buy his book. his images are like everything you imagine Alaska to be in your wildest dreams. it's photographs like Jim's that give us the frames in which to assemble such dreams.
Jim's book Always Getting Ready is the cornerstone of all Alaska books in my opinion.
his access to the Yu'pik people is based on a trust that almost seems impossible when you look at his photographs- it's hard to believe him not Native himself. he brings a level of respect and honesty to his photography that many attempt, but seldom accomplish. Jim lived in the community of Bethel for many years, working out of a dry dark room, and documenting Native seal hunts, dances, and the daily life of those that thrive in a subsistence lifestyle. Bethel has the highest population of Native Americans than any other community in America, and it's a world that is gravely misunderstood. his work is important on so many levels.
i'm so enamored by his nurturing of the photo essay- the series. he showed four separate bodies of work, none that i was familiar with, other than Always Getting Ready. he's a tragically underrated photographer outside of Alaska i'm afraid. i urge anyone to buy his book. his images are like everything you imagine Alaska to be in your wildest dreams. it's photographs like Jim's that give us the frames in which to assemble such dreams.
Feb 19, 2007
Alaskagraphers?
there's been a lot of talk lately about photography in relation to cities and regions. it seems that many in the art world have begun to officially recognize a certain Midwestern aesthetic, and it's ignited interesting, if not humorous, conversation.
Chicago and Minneapolis lead the devision with team captains Brian Ulrich and Alec Soth respectively. to my knowledge Wisconsin and Iowa have yet to field a team, but i'm fairly certain recruiting has begun. most of the conversation has been in good form with Ulrich coining the term "Chicagrapher" - the group of contemporary lake shore photographers that have banded together like the 06/07 Bears, but with a better quarterback.
Soth has been a little more quiet- head games from the North perhaps. the kind that can only be made by a man that sizes up Cat Power. he is an MVP after all, and more than a few aces up his black velvet suit coat sleeve.
Ulrich has drawn the line in the sand- today i notice that his blog links are divided into such city centric lists. so, if this is the way it must be i can't help but think about Alaskagraphers. every Tuesday is Photo Lunch here in Fairbanks. a group of local snappers get together to talk photography, bitch about the cold (it's 38 below as i type this), share a few laughs, and eat marginal food. i'll bring up Alaskagraphers next week and let you know how it goes. something tells me they'll just look at the 'young guy' and shake their heads.
Chicago and Minneapolis lead the devision with team captains Brian Ulrich and Alec Soth respectively. to my knowledge Wisconsin and Iowa have yet to field a team, but i'm fairly certain recruiting has begun. most of the conversation has been in good form with Ulrich coining the term "Chicagrapher" - the group of contemporary lake shore photographers that have banded together like the 06/07 Bears, but with a better quarterback.
Soth has been a little more quiet- head games from the North perhaps. the kind that can only be made by a man that sizes up Cat Power. he is an MVP after all, and more than a few aces up his black velvet suit coat sleeve.
Ulrich has drawn the line in the sand- today i notice that his blog links are divided into such city centric lists. so, if this is the way it must be i can't help but think about Alaskagraphers. every Tuesday is Photo Lunch here in Fairbanks. a group of local snappers get together to talk photography, bitch about the cold (it's 38 below as i type this), share a few laughs, and eat marginal food. i'll bring up Alaskagraphers next week and let you know how it goes. something tells me they'll just look at the 'young guy' and shake their heads.
Feb 8, 2007
time for a change
i'm in the process of changing over to the new blogger interface, so if things look a little wonky, stop by later and the format will be a bit more solid.
in the mean time, i'll leave you with the ghost of Chitina
listening to slim cessna
in the mean time, i'll leave you with the ghost of Chitina
listening to slim cessna
Jan 22, 2007
Jan 19, 2007
heading north tomorrow. it feels so good to be packing the backpack, with the anticipation of getting out of town. we're driving up the Elliot to the Tolovana trail head, and an 11 mile ski into the natural hot spring.
the cabin is on reserve, camera is packed, the flask has scotch, and the forecast looks fairly mild. i'll post images when i get back.
this image is from a backpacking trip last July (aprox. 1:00am) on Pinnell Mountain- further East, but roughly the same Latitude as Tolovana. no midnight sun this time around.
listening to Calexico
the cabin is on reserve, camera is packed, the flask has scotch, and the forecast looks fairly mild. i'll post images when i get back.
this image is from a backpacking trip last July (aprox. 1:00am) on Pinnell Mountain- further East, but roughly the same Latitude as Tolovana. no midnight sun this time around.
listening to Calexico
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