"Nyau masks and rituals” The Secret spirit society of the Chewa peoples of Malawi.
Watch Video - Mask Dancers
View a selection of imagery of the Nyau spirit masks engaging with their communities at puberty rites, funerals, and rememberance rituals. Kachindamoto Traditional Authority, Dedza, Malawi
“Kapoli” / ‘to stand up from hoeing’ in sacred pool. Heyshott Farm, Zimbabwe 1996
“Tidyenawo” / ‘let’s eat together’ Chatewa village, Kachindamoto District, Malawi 2000
“Chimbano” / ‘the big trap’ A cross between a crocodile and a bull, Chimbano’s name derives from ‘kubana’ (to steal) and his fierce teeth ‘kupana’ (a trap). His blackened face symbolizes death, while his large horns indicate his power, but also his indulgences with sorcery. Chimbano courts death and misfortune upon the village by failing to observe the ritual ‘coolness’ of the sexual abstinence and morality surrounding burial and mourning. Kudzoye village, Dedza District, Malawi 1999
“Pedegu” / ‘the orphan’ The deaf orphan, Pedegu is unable to provide for himself as he paid no attention (was deaf) to the teachings of his elders and now, as an orphan is incompetent and impotent and loudly mocked by the village women. Kalindiza village, Kachindamoto District, Malawi 1999
“Ndapita ku maliro, nkhuku mutsekele” / ‘I went to the funeral, lock up the chicken’ Presenting a toothless old man with bulging cheeks and walking stick, Ndapita… warns young people of the village to observe the traditional rules of ritual coolness during the time of funeral rites, lest they create conditions of “ndulo”, a wasting sickness caused by ‘cutting’ the rules of culture. Lunguzi village, Kachindamoto District, Malawi 1999
Along the 1,700 kilometres of the Baja Highway #1 - the single roadway running the length of the Baja peninsula, the route is marked by “altars de muertos” or “nichos”; the memorials to the victims of the highway and shrines to the saints who protect travellers.
"Extended in-depth documentary photo projects that examine the relationship between culture and belief.
Spring storm, May 1982. Jack Ladouceur drawing drinking water from the shore of Buffalo Lake, Caslan Metis Settlement
Frank and Robert Pruden skinning a moose, Crooked Lake, Kikino Metis Settlement
Firefighters from Peavine Metis Settlement, Lubicon Lake fire, 1984
Carpenters in apprentice training program, Caslan Metis Settlent 1982
Gift Lake Metis Settlement 1985
Walter and Rose Anderson from Fishing Lake at Paddle Prairie Rodeo, Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement 1981.
Living room at Pat and Ilene Swann’s house, Elizabeth Metis Settlement.
Adolphus Ghostkeeper, 88, Paddle Prairie Metis Settlement, 1981
Girl from Paddle Prairie, waitress at Keg River Cabins, south of Paddle Prairie, 1981.
Adrian Hope, rodeo rider, poet, heading to Lac La Biche hospital, Kikino Settlement 1983.
Breakfast at Walter and Rose Andersons’ with brother Matt Anderson. Fishing Lake Settlement
Elizabeth Settlement.
Frank and Russell Collins in their barn. Elizabeth Settlement
Tea break, firefighters from Gift lake Settlement, Lubicon lake fire, Alberta
Firefighter from Gift Lake, mop up operations. Lubicon Lake fire, Red Earth, Alberta
Rose Pruden preparing moose meat for dinner. Kikino Settlement.
"Extended in-depth documentary photo projects that examine the relationship between culture and belief.
"This book is the culmination of a quest that, by terrestial standards, is an extraordinary as that of the people he brings to life in the pages that follow." - Tom Wolfe
Paul Eichenberg began building a shed for his lawnmower in 1983 and finished with his flying saucer. Chester,, Pennsylvania, 1988
Gene Highstein’s “Concrete Flying Saucer”, Highland Park, Illinois, 1983
Claude Vorilhon (aka Rael), founder of the Raelians, in front of a replica of the flying saucer that took him to outer space and meetings with the supreme being, Yahweh. Villancourt, Quebec, 1997.
Al Thomas encountered Jesus Christ on a hillside in 1973, outside of Russelville, Arkansas and was commanded to build a flying saucer and fly around the world distributing food, medicine and the Bible. Russelville, Arkansas, 1985.
Granger Taylor built his flying saucer on his parents farm and reported his communications with alien beings, telling friends that he would be joining the aliens on a long trip in their vehicle to outer space. In the night darkness of a severe thunderstorm, Granger disappeared without a trace. Duncan, British Columbia 1984.
Nodrog (aka O.T> Gordon) leads members preparing for “S Day” at the Time Ark Base of the Outer Dimensional Forces in Weslaco, Texas, 1986.
Diorama at Roswell Space Museum, depicting the crashed flying saucer of The Roswell Incident, 50th Anniversary, Roswell, New Mexico 1997.
John Shepherd converted his grandparents home into a UFO detection station to house his Project S.T.R.A.T., beaming music and electronic signals into space in hopes of contacting extraterrestrial life. Bellaire, Michigan 1983.
Ruth Norman “The Archangel Uriel”, heads The Unarius Society, preparing earthlings for the 32 spaceships of the Intergalactic Confederation. El Cajon, California, 1981.
Orlando Toroni spends his nights tracking and signaling spaceships hiding behind satellites, using an aircraft signaling light. Orland, California 1977.
Members of The Aetherius Society charging a Spiritual Battery to placed on hillsides where the stored energy will be directed by orbiting aliens to defeat catastrophic events around the world. Los Angeles, California, 1980.
Project Starlight International creates light pattern sequences from a hidden location to attract UFOs flying overhead. North of Austin, Texas 1986.
“In Advance of the Landing: Folk concepts of Outer Space”, 2nd edition hardcover Available from Amazon.com
From 1983 thru to 2010, I shot publicity stills for the motion picture industry and television. Shooting stills on a film production alternates between being the best job on set and the worst position on set.
