John Feely, The Outsiders - Portraits (Portrait)

Western Mongolia is a barren icy wilderness 9 months of the year, a Mars-like landscape for 3. Kazaks and Mongols share a traditional, nomadic way of life, both in tune with and at the whim of natures every gesture. A fragile existence threatened by progress as much as by the harsh climate. The Outsiders is John Feely’s photographic record of his personal journeys through Mongolia in 2014 and 2015. A search for spaciousness led him to travel by horse, in search of an uninsured and uninsulated experience. Through relationships, letting things be and sleeping on floors, the outsider slowly became part of everything around him. The process was meditative and silent. The work is an extension of being in gers each night silently sharing the presence of others. In these moments, with no shared language night after night, an unsaid understanding forms for life. These portraits are a record of this relationship. The longer he stayed the more real these portraits became.

Images have been resized for web display, which may cause some loss of image quality. Note: Original high-resolution images are used for judging.