Jesse Louttit’s new series documents Moosonee and Moose Factory, two northern Ontario towns unconnected to the road system and only accessible by train or plane. Located on the shores of the Moose River and James Bay, they are at the northernmost point of the Ontario Northlander train route. Originally settled as fur trading posts, the towns grew in prominence with the arrival of the rail line in 1932 operating as gateways to surrounding communities, many of them Cree settlements. Louttit’s return to Moosonee, the place where his father was born, was inspired by his fascination with isolation, connection and travel in remote places. Unable to locate the areas on Google Street View, these large format images are personal substitutes, responding to the global mapping project with an insightful approach. Taken at dusk and before dawn, Louttit’s use of light and composition evoke qualities of beauty, stillness, and contemplation, while depicting the infrastructural elements of these isolated towns.

Jesse Louttit is a photographer who lives and works in Toronto. His large format landscape images often reveal the traces of human existence in the environment. His work has been featured in PDN, Applied Arts and Report on Business and has been exhibited at Pikto and the Boiler House for CONTACT 2011. The Harbourfront Centre will be presenting a series of No Roads in the Photo Gallery from January 28 to April 15, 2012.