Almost obsessively fascinated over this docu-project by Jonathan Harris, I spent the last few days watching and flicking through a slideshow of some 3,214 photographs from his 2007 trip to Barrow, Alaska. While browsing a cool blog I was initially attracted to his flawless photos and then I dug a little deeper into his website and became instantly inspired by his project and ability to capture moments of beauty in a barren landscape, expose multiple portraits of raw human emotion, and put together a “picture book” that whispers and sings of a thousand-year-old tradition (a whale hunt) that takes place every Spring by the Inupiat Eskimos. The slideshow comprises of photos taken every 5 minutes or less, mimics a slow heartbeat at some points and at other times a fast rate and coincides with the activities being photographed (um, amazing!). Each slide also contains a phrase. The climactic ending is not easy on the eyes as Harris shows the dissection and butchering of 2 bowhead whales and the distribution of muktuk for the people in the village. Muktuk or whale blubber is stored frozen, thawed and either eaten raw, boiled or in some cases fried. A dash of soy sauce, A-1 or seal oil can accompany it.
This 9 day journey in the Arctic gives us a detailed look at a customary practice that requires patience and teamwork, not to mention gore-tex and a tough stomach.
I think an interesting follow up project would be to document in what manner all of the parts of the bowhead whale are used.
You can read more about Jonathan Harris’ purpose for this project in his statement.
