Art

The Whale Hunt: New work from Jonathan Harris

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Artist Jonathan Harris (watch his TEDTalk) just launched his latest piece, The Whale Hunt. In this visionary, documentary work, Harris joins a family of Inupiat Eskimos on their annual whale hunt:

I documented the entire experience [in] 3,214 photographs, beginning with the taxi ride to Newark airport, and ending with the butchering of the second whale, seven days later. The photographs were taken at five-minute intervals, even while sleeping (using a chronometer), establishing a constant “photographic heartbeat.” In moments of high adrenaline, this photographic heartbeat would quicken (to a maximum rate of 37 pictures in five minutes while the first whale was being cut up), mimicking the changing pace of my own heartbeat.

Read Harris’ full statement on the piece, watch the highlights, or just dive in — to watch the passage of time, space and life under the Alaskan sky.

Photo: “May 6, 11:10pm Hauling up Joe Ahkivgaq’s whale”
Courtesy Jonathan Harris, The Whale Hunt