Following the 2014 success of his Six-Week Spotlight exhibit “Chilkat Beach in Monochrome: Landscape Studies in Black and White,” Haines photographer John Hagen will debut a new Chilkat River series at the Alaska Arts Confluence gallery Friday.

The June 3 First Friday opening of “Hide and Seek” will run from 5 to 7 p.m. at the confluence’s Main Street gallery.

“Hide and Seek” juxtaposes aerial and low-angle shots of the Chilkat River to convey the narrative of the hunter and the hunted. Hagen uses a detailed approach to landscape photography that highlights nature’s harmony, repetition and lines, and explores an environment that also inspired the art of his Aleut and Inupiaq ancestors.

While most landscape work from Alaska showcases the state’s natural beauty, Hagen tries to create a counter-narrative to postcard Alaskana by showcasing abstract elements of a spot.

“People, place and the interaction between the two are the inspiration for my work. It typically will draw my work from places in peril or of places that are special,” Hagen said.

Hagen studied photojournalism at the University of Alaska Fairbanks and earned a Bachelor’s of Fine Arts in New Media Arts from the Institute of American Indian Arts. In 2015, Hagen received the Alaska State Council on the Arts’ Connie Boochever Fellowship, as well as a Rasmuson Foundation Individual Artist Award.

Other First Friday events include fabric artist Jean Smith’s handmade scarves and pillows at Skipping Stone Studios, Merrick Bochart’s jewelry at the Port Chilkoot Distillery, and Dena Selby and Mark Zeiger’s work at La Loft.

The Haines Sheldon Museum and Hammer Museum will also be open.

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