Jimmy Manning
When I first saw the photographic work of Jimmy Manning, I found it awe inspiring and exciting, particularly his early images depicting life on the land and everyday life in and around Kinngait (Cape Dorset). There is a consistency to his work and an attention to detail that shines through, whether it’s a portrait of an artist at work in the studio or an image of caribou antlers strung across the top of the boat. To some these are scenes of everyday life, but to me, as an artist, they represent the creativity and challenge of documenting life—Inuit life—in a thoughtful way. As a photographer, Jimmy shed light on his community in a manner that I hadn’t seen before and one that has pushed me to try to capture my own Urban Inuit experience. His creative influence and experimentation has allowed me to try different approaches, use different perspectives and explore different themes. His work as both an artist and an administrator with the West Baffin Eskimo Co-operative has been an inspiration for me, and watching him build his career as one of the first professional Inuk photographers has taught me there are no real limits. His sense of professionalism and his calm mannerisms are something I strive to emulate. Following in his artistic footsteps gives me passion, new ideas and the sense that I can do it too. –