Inland/Outland Project - www.inlandoutland.com

The Inland/Outland project was started in Iceland in 2007, when photographer Svavar Jónatansson travelled around the island’s 900 mile ring road in freight trucks and buses, photographing out the side windows every 4-7 seconds. Three years later, with over 200,000 single photographs after dozens of trips, the videos Inland/Outland were finished.  Each 43 minute video consists of 20,000 photographs which flow in stop motion form, creating a view of the landscape rolling by, changing seasons and weather in seconds.  The work premiered at the 2010 Nunanow art festival in Winnipeg, Canada, and later in Iceland's city hall. Original music was composed by Icelandic composer Daníel Ágúst Haraldsson. Soon after, Svavar completed 2 new videos that showed the landscape of two major National Parks, where the works were subsequently exhibited.

 

In 2012 Svavar started a similar approach to the varied landscapes of Utah, driving thousands of miles photographing the view from the side window. With two 12 day trips in April and January, he set out to photograph the varied landscape of the state, traveling through the arid Salt Flats, Arches National Park, Oljato, and Capital Reef to name a few.  Each trip consisted of 3000 miles driven, and tens of thousands of photographs taken.  The goal is to create two new videos accompanied by music to document and provide insight to Utah’s unique landscape. Because of the multitude of photos linked together and the organic way of documenting the landscape, this project offers a distinct perspective and insight to regionalism and sense of place, that being the varied landscape of Utah.

 

In the spring of 2012 Svavar approached me with the idea for the Inland/Outland Utah project. I was thrilled at the opportunity to convey my feeling for the Southern Utah landscape through music. I was born and raised in Utah and Idaho, and as an avid hiker and climber, my connection to the landscape runs deep. So deep, in fact, that I once considered a career in Geology. Music eventually won out, but any opportunity I can get to combine my love of landscapes and music is something I jump at. To me the redrock landscapes of Utah are inherently musical; at times smooth and calm, and then suddenly jagged and violent. After countless hours of composing, editing, and reworking the music, I feel that I have written music that not only conveys my personal feeling about the land, but fits very well with Svavar's superb photography. Composers from Copland to Ewazen have been enchanted with the West, and much music has been written about its vast landscapes. However, the West is my home. I live here. I know its secrets, and I am thrilled with this chance to help bring it to life for people in a unique way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Photo by Michael Aisner

 

All following photos by Svavar Jonatansson