Oliver Klink
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Swiss, born 1962
Projects/Portfolios
Soul of the Bürkitshi
Introduction
Nestled in the snowy mountaintops of Western Mongolia, the Kazakhs have mastered the ancient and noble art of hunting with eagles. For nomadic tribes, their survival depends not only on training these majestic birds but in passing on their skills to the younger generation. For centuries, this knowledge has been transferred from father to son, but that’s all beginning to change.
The young women are becoming Bürkitshi, the Kazakh word for eagle hunters. This shift is no accident. Eagle hunting has slowly transitioned from a means of survival to a sightseeing attraction. This influx of commercialism has altered their trading power and divided the community. No longer are they exchanging goods and furs, now they are earning currency through tourism. Teaching the art of eagle hunting to women may be the only way to prevent the sport from becoming diluted or dying out completely.
My images are a glimpse into the soul of the hunters in a time of rapid change. When I observe the relationship between the Bürkitshi and their eagles, I see a deep bond and a rich unspoken language. Yes, the hunt is violent, but the Bürkitshi’s intimate connection with their animals instills the sport with a sense of grace and art.
Cultural and environmental changes are affecting the region, but for those that truly live as Bürkitshi, the future doesn’t faze them. They still hunt in the way of their ancestors, migrate through the rugged terrain and share stories over cups of fermented mare's milk and baursak (fried dough balls). Only now, those stories are being told by brave new huntresses.
Spirit Of the Village
Introduction
Entering a village is stepping back in time. Narrow streets, sometimes paved, most of the time dirt paths make up the majority of the village. Unnumbered homes are the norm, as everyone knows each other. Streets wind in unorderly fashion over streams of running water, sometimes fresh but more often as open sewage. Early morning has its repetitive rhythms as the town wakes up. Few words are exchanged among neighbors, prayers are completed, and chores get underway. People leave to go farm, build roads and erect structures. In late afternoon, the center of the village gets crowded. People gather to share their daily stories over a cup of tea, a glass of beer or something stronger. All around the kids are playing. When darkness approaches, people retreat to their homes.
My interest was to capture the inner belly of the Village, what happens inside people’ homes, how they think, how they feel. The Spirit of the Village is changing, mainly affected by the innovations of the modern world. Rapid changes often come at the cost of old-world customs, rituals and social relationships. This is especially true in Asia, where a search for new opportunities in urban areas has led to a mass exodus of the middle generation in rural communities. Those left behind are balancing a growing tension between the cultural diversity of the past and the homogeneity of the present.
Villages are populated by those on opposite ends of the generational divide – grandparents and children. The net result often creates a situation where those desperately looking to preserve tradition are caring for those most-willing to embrace change.
Heart of the Yi
Introduction
For centuries, the Yi people have been surviving in the remote mountainous regions of China. In relative isolation, they have developed their own language, costumes, and customs. Unfortunately, their detachment has also left them vulnerable to poverty, famine and the ever-encroaching reach of commercialism on their land. Exacerbated by the 2008 Sichuan earthquake, a disaster that killed 69,000 people, the Yi are struggling to rebuild their world as it has always been.
Traveling deep in Yi territories is a trip back in time. The “last mile” is seldom as described, often restricted, but rewarding when you reach the “heart of the Yi” culture. The parents are hard at work, cultivating the land for subsistence. The young split their time between morning school, helping with daily chores, and taking care of their infant siblings. The nightly activities are basic as many of the homes have little to no electricity. The Yi fiercely resist the lure of comfort in the form of new homes and modern amenities as they want to protect their homeland and authenticity.
These images showcase their daily joys and struggles not by embellishing them, but by showing them exactly as they are. Yes, their customs and way of life are antiquated, but their instinct for survival and resistance to change is commanding and full of hope.
ClampArt, New York, NY, United States
Artist Statement
Oliver Klink studies in physics and photography were the catalyst for his love of light and the complexity or our existence. As a fine art photographer, he travels the world to capture the intricacy of our ecosystems. The link between his various body of works is the increasingly complex modern world constantly unfolding in new and unexpected ways. He captures our cultural changes, the environments we inhabit, and the insights into our world and ourselves. His artistic goal is telling stories with his images, making the viewers dream, and providing a glimpse of “the world as it should be”.
Process Statement
Oliver is a master of the new digital printing process called Piezography. By using a combination of pigment ink and a proprietary profiling process he produces enhanced highlight and shadow details that exceed what is capable using silver-based or platinum-based traditional darkroom processes.
Oliver Klink was educated as a physicist and photographer. His images have been featured in National Geographic, Days of Japan, Black and White Magazine, My Modern Met, 6 mois Magazine (France), DailyMail (UK), among others.
He was awarded Black and White Photographer of the Year 2018 by Dodho Magazine, Top 50 Artist (2016 & 2018) at Photolucida - Critical Mass, Spotlight winner of Black and White Magazine Portfolio edition (2018), Top 50 Artist “Seeing in Sixies” by Lenswork Magazine (2017), Best of the Best Black and White Emerging Photographers by BWGallerist (2016) and Grand Prize winner at the Rayko International Photo Contest (2014).
He has had solo exhibits at Middlebury Institute of International Studies, Monterey, California; Conti Museum, Festival de La Luz, Buenos Aires, Argentina; Black Rapid Gallery, Seattle, Washington; PhotoCentral Gallery, Hayward, California.
He just released his award winning monograph – Cultures In Transition: Spirit-Heart-Soul. The associated traveling exhibit is on display at the PhotoCentral Gallery (Hayward, CA) until March 3, 2019.
Oliver is a master of the new digital printing process called Piezography. By using a combination of pigment ink and a proprietary profiling process he produces enhanced highlight and shadow details that exceed what is capable using silver-based or platinum-based traditional darkroom processes.
Oliver has been invited to speak to worldwide audiences and to inspire them with his images. He, himself, get inspired by photographers, such as Frans Lanting, Nick Brandt, Sebastiao Salgado, Charles Cramer, Art Wolf, John Sexton, Gregory Colbert, among others.
Originally from Switzerland, Oliver currently resides in Los Gatos, California with his wife.
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