Away From The Urban Hustle With Tim Smith

Documentary photographer Tim Smith‘s series In the World But Not of It will be presented during the third edition of Fotografia Calabria Festival, to be held in San Lucido (CS) from July 26 to August 25. This documentary work is the result of 15 years of dedication and relationships established with Hutterite communities in North America, offering an in-depth view of a culture that lives in balance between tradition and modernity. Kim Chang Gil described Smith’s work as «a fascination with landscapes and communities far removed from urban frenzy,» emphasizing how the photographer is the antithesis of the obsession with futuristic metropolises. But let’s find out how Smith’s adventure with the Hutterites began.

Who are the Hutterites?

Tim Smith’s encounter with the Hutterites began with a chance meeting that, over time, turned into a detailed chronicle of their daily life and evolution. The Hutterites, an Anabaptist sect with roots in 16th-century Austrian Tyrol, live in community colonies scattered across western Canada and the northwestern United States. With a population of about 50,000, these communities have thrived through a voluntary detachment from mainstream society and a self-sufficient economy. Despite a period of peace and prosperity, Hutterites face challenges related to their cultural identity and increasing contact with the outside world.

June 29, 2017 German school teacher Jonathan Hofer presides over prayer recited by one of his students after dinner in the essenschul (eating school) at Deerboine Colony. Kids between the ages of five and fifteen eat separately from the adults in the essenschul where they are taught to eat quickly and respectfully. At 15 they graduate to the adult dining area which is a celebrated right of passage for colony children.

A tension between tradition and modernity

Tim Smith captures the complexity of these dynamics through images that explore the tension between tradition and modernity. His work reveals how the colonies are coping with external pressures without losing sight of the core values of their faith. The photographs, many of them focused on Hutterite youth, show a world of rebellion, respect for tradition and strictly maintained gender roles. In one of his remarks, Paul S. Gross, a Hutterite author, wrote, «We cannot please the world and God at the same time…Either we take this world with all it offers, including problems, mental stress, pain and death at the end; or we choose a better way.» This tension between maintaining traditions and adapting to modern influences is one of the central themes of Smith’s work.