Hunter Barnes

The People

Exhibition Opening and Artist Slideshow

Tuesday June 30th
7:30 pm

ABOUT THE PHOTOGRAPHER:

Hunter Barnes is a documentary photographer who focuses his artistic gaze on the faces of proud groups of people who are consistently misrepresented in the modern American narrative. Under the tutelage of Dr. R. Heist, he earned a Degree in Photography and Photochemistry. Distinguishing himself from his photographer peers through the integrity of his process from concept to print, he shoots exclusively in Black and White Film and Polaroid 665 Negatives and prints his own images adhering to the archival darkroom methods of the generations of masters who preceded him.

Since the publication of his first book, Hunter has mounted five solo shows in NYC and Santa Fe, N.M.. Milk Gallery currently exhibits his latest work exclusively.  With A World Away in 2006, he exhibited a collection of images captured while living in the Tamil villages in Sri Lanka that were affected by the Tsunami and the on going civil war and introduced his written journal entries into the gallery of his images. 

ABOUT THIS SERIES:

A rare glimpse into the life of the Peace Dreamers,  The People is a four-year documentary project on the Ni Mii Puu (Nez Perce) Native American people of Lapwai, ID and Nespelam, WA. 

These images are from a world that Hunter was invited into as a trusted friend-a world largely unseen and ignored- where life is simple and very complex.

The first photographer in a century invited to document The People; Hunter was introduced to Uncle Irving, a respected elder at the Tamkaliks Pow Wow in Wallowa Oregon. He was taken to The Peoples’ families where he stayed for extended periods. Hunter spent his time at both the Lapwai Idaho and Nespelam Washington Reservations, witnessing a traditional Native American culture making the transition to the modern age.  This marked the first time in a century that the tribal elders allowed an outsider to live among them and produce a comprehensive photographic chronicle of the people on the reservation. 

"Seeing this transition firsthand compelled me to document a people moving between two worlds."

The photography series is curated by James Price and Anna Van Lenten

Previous exhibitions at The Half King