Oliver Klink, Soul of the Bürkitshi

June 1- June 28, 2019
Artist’s talk, Saturday, June 8, 4pm-5pm
Artist’s Reception and Book signing, June 8 5pm-6:30pm

Camerawork Gallery
301 N. Graham Street, Portland, OR 97227
Located in Lorenzen Conference Center – Legacy Emanuel Medical Center Campus.
9am – 6pm, Monday-Saturday, Sunday, 10am-4pm
Free off street parking available, Stair and elevator access, TriMet Routes 4, 24 and 44
www.TheCameraworkGallery.org
www.Facebook.com/cameraworkgallery
503-701-5347
Event is free and open to the public

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 makes the Kazakh even more interesting to tourists and prevents the sport from becoming diluted or dying out altogether.

These images are a glimpse into the soul of the hunters in a time of rapid change. There is a deep bond and a rich unspoken language between the Bürkitshi and their eagles. Yes, the hunt is violent, but the Bürkitshi’s intimate connection with their animals instills the sport with a sense of grace and art.

For those who 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, these stories are being told by brave new huntresses.

Geir Jordahl (Publisher, True North Editions) writes: “Klink’s images transcend borders without homogenizing very distinct peoples, nationalities, and cultures. The uniqueness of each is present, yet Klink asks us to see the links between them and to see ourselves within each tribe. He connects us through the use of common bonds, gestures, and expressions. In this way the personalities of his subjects shine through – their emotion, their joy, their connections with each other and, by association their connection to the viewer.”

Printing Technique: The images were photographed with high-resolution cameras, ranging from medium format digital Hasselblad to full frame mirrorless Sony. The images are printed with a special technique called Piezography. Piezography is the first fine-art archival black & white digital printing process, which has a unique combination of surface reflection, high fidelity, and tone due to a proprietary pigment manufacturing. ABOUT THE ARTIST Oliver Klink was educated as a physicist and photographer. He was awarded 2019 IPPY GOLD AWARD by the Independent Book Publisher for best photography book of 2018 (Cultures in Transition: Spirit Heart Soul), Black and White Photographer of the year (2018) by Dodho Magazine, Top 50 Artist (2016 & 2018) Photolucida Critical Mass, Spotlight winner of Black and White Magazine Portfolio edition (2018), Best of the Best Black and White Emerging Photographers by BWGallerist (2016).

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; Pictura Gallery, Bloomington, Indiana; CameraWork, Portland, Oregon; PhotoCentral Gallery, Hayward, California; Shadows Gallery, Arles, France.

Oliver Klink resides in Los Gatos, California with his wife.

Purchasing Work: His award-winning book (2019 IPPY GOLD AWARD by Independent publisher) and limited edition prints are for sale at www.culturesintransition.com