Voices in the Wilderness

On a small island in the Salish Sea, 350 people live off grid. Their autonomous existence is rooted in a strong counterculture ethos. Island residents have long practiced their own form of “physical distancing” as, by rule, each dwelling sits a minimum of 10 acres apart. In his project Voices in the Wilderness, photographer Ryan Walker explores the back-to-the-land movement, which was born out of uncertainty and social anxieties of the late 1960s, both of which we are experiencing in our current COVID-19 world. ⁣

Some question whether the current health crisis will lead to a long-term behavioural shift. The quarantine saw many of us bake our own bread, grow herbs and tend to other “do it yourself” projects. As we adopt these new behaviours – and discussions around climate change continue to grow – will there be an accelerated movement toward self-sufficiency through the participation in our own food, clothing and shelter?

The island – Walker has promised its residents not to reveal its name – shows us a microcosm of a world in which people choose a more self-sustaining lifestyle. To survive, they balance independence with co-dependence, collaborating with the island’s community of nomads and draft dodgers, young families and solitary retirees, artists and tradespeople, homesteaders and environmentalists. Together they form a close-knit community, not over a shared identity, but over a shared mission.

From the story Voices in the Wilderness, we produce an interactive multimedia story that will be featured on our new online magazine Far Away – Up Close on of the 22nd  September. Check out: www.farawayupclose.nl.

Who? Ryan Walker

From Canada

Docking September 2020

Working on Voices in the Wilderness

About : Voices in the Wilderness by photographer Ryan Walker explores the back-to-the-land movement on a small Canadian island – a microcosm of a world in which 350 people have chosen a more self-sufficient lifestyle.

Connecting to nature and community have been the core focus of Toronto-based photographer Ryan Walker. In his photography he explores how our natural surroundings impact our identity. Walker holds an MFA in Documentary Media from Ryerson University and specializes in documentary, editorial photography, and visual advocacy. He is an educator for the BFA Photography Program at Ryerson University and Sheridan College. Walker’s work has been exhibited in Canada, Russia, Italy, Australia and the U.S. He has received several awards, grants, and scholarships, including PDN’s Emerging Photographer (Fall 2017), Magenta Flash Forward Emerging Photographers award, an Ontario Graduate Fellowship, and a Magnum Photos scholarship. His work has appeared in Der Spiegel (Germany) and D Repubblica Magazine (Italy), enRoute Magazine, Report on Business Magazine, The Globe & Mail, and PDN Emerging Magazine.

ambassador

MARYANN CAMILLERI

Founder of The Magenta Foundation, Co-Producer at Edition, Toronto

Voices in the Wilderness provides a glimpse into a rarefied world. What I appreciate about Ryan is his ability to immerse viewers into a sense of place. He is propelled by a curiosity to capture the remote community that has adopted alternative ways of living and who are spiritually connected to the land. The escapist in me (and no doubt all of us) is drawn toward his subjects, who, for the most part, have sought refuge away from modern society’s trappings in search of belonging and a coexistence with nature. 

Ryan has an instinctive ability to tell stories with a sense of connection and cohesion. There is a natural throughline in his work, one which explores clear themes around land, identity and the environment. Ryan rarely strays from these cornerstones, which guide his work as a young storyteller.

I’ve been fortunate to watch Ryan grow and develop as a photographer since our first meeting in 2011 through Magenta’s Flash Forward Emerging Photographers program. I have eagerly followed the evolution of his work ever since and have come to know him quite well. He is a deeply empathetic artist who cares about his subjects. 

I am thrilled to be an ambassador for Ryan as he embarks on this next chapter in curating, and expanding, the work behind Voices in the Wilderness. I will continue to watch eagerly as he refines the project, adding deeper layers, and develops an eye for more ethereal imagery.