TIM SMITH: Hutterites of Manitoba

×

Expand

Tim Smith and Amalie Atkins

Beginning with a chance encounter, Tim Smith has been documenting and building relationships with Hutterite communities in Manitoba over the past seven years. An Anabaptist group whose roots trace back to the 16th Century Reformation, many Hutterites live on closed colonies throughout western Canada and the north-western United States, their culture preserved through deliberate separation and self-sufficiency. Smith’s photographs provide a contemporary and nuanced view of the colonies—delving into complex decisions at the heart of everyday life. His intimate portraits offer a glimpse into the continuously negotiated sites of Hutterite life: women showing off colourful running shoes under cotton prairie dresses, using cell phones and Internet to access the world outside of the colonies, farming, communal meals, prayer, and family life.