For over a thousand years, the Kyrgyz raised livestock and lived as nomadic horsemen in the mountains of Kyrgyzstan, Central Asia. In the past 150 years, political and social factors intervened to change this historic way of life. But now, in the years following the Soviet collapse, the Kyrgyz have been seeing a resurgence of their traditional shepherding lifestyle, as photographer Scott Turner observed during a year-long voyage through Asia last year. He spent a significant amount of time traveling across Kyrgyzstan on horseback, which left him with the desire to tell the stories of the people he encountered. As the latest recipient of a VSCO Artist Initiative grant, Scott will be able to return to the mountains of Kyrgyzstan to live among shepherding families and deepen the relationships he began there.
The VSCO Artist Initiative, a $1,000,000 USD fund, exists to help artists like Scott realize their creative dreams. Scott shares, “My goal for this project is to document the lives of the shepherds and issues around modern pastoralism in relation to how it affects the lives of the Kyrgyz people today and for the future, as well as celebrate the deep heritage they have as a people group.” Scroll down to hear more about Scott’s inspiration, and visit his Journal to read about his initial voyage across Kyrgyzstan, which served as the spark for his Artist Initiative project.
Follow Scott’s work at scotturner.vsco.co.
After leaving his manufacturing job in December 2013, Scott embarked on a venture to “make traveling with a camera a reality,” he remembers. “For me, the core of photography has little to do with a camera. The most fun part is getting to know people, so I take a relational approach. I feel like if the trust and relationship is there, pushing the shutter button becomes much more of a formality. There's a quote by Dorothea Lange which basically states, 'The camera is a tool that teaches people how to see without a camera.’ I really believe that is true. The real work is done before the camera is even lifted to your eye, and the physical device is merely there to record the moment.”
Though his interest in photography began with landscapes, Scott admits that after a year of traveling, he’s now more interested in photographing people. “Travel is so much more about who you meet rather than where you go, and it's the human experience that really intrigues me. The thing that I really didn't expect after a year on the road was the draw towards story. I really developed a desire to tell stories with my images…more along the lines of journalism rather than art, and my AI project in Kyrgyzstan grew out of that desire.”
Through his initial ride across Kyrgyzstan on horseback — on a horse he purchased at a local livestock market — Scott learned about the local culture, economy, and way of life. He kept the horse to return in 2015, determined to capture the stories of those he met. “Most importantly, I'm hoping to make a connection with the people of Kyrgyzstan. One of my greatest frustrations while in the mountains in 2014 was not being able to hear the stories of the shepherds I spent time with. While there are ways to communicate beyond words, it's hard to understand someone's story fully without their own expression of it, and thanks to the support of VSCO and the AI grant, it's going to be possible to do this year. I hope to offer up some of myself in the process; to get neck deep in the shepherd's world and be changed by the experience.”
Since its inception last year, the VSCO Artist Initiative has funded the projects of over 25 artists. From animators to sculptors, photojournalists to poets, the Initiative backs a wide range of artistic talent, both emerging and established. Submit your own project proposal to the Artist Initiative if you would like to be considered for the scholarship.
