​Artists collaborate on Headhunt Revisited

A documentary, inspired by a daring American portrait artist’s expedition in the 1920s, is scheduled to be released in early 2017.

The documentary, currently in post-production, retraces the journey of Caroline Mytinger and her friend Margaret Warner, travelled PNG and the Solomon Islands on a hunt to capture portraits of the indigenous people.

The Mytinger project, called the Headhunt Revisited, is the dream of another female artist, Michele Westmorland.

Headhunt Revisited: With Brush, Canvas and Camera is a film, a book and exhibition about Caroline Mytinger and the power of her art to build connections across oceans in decades.

“It all started in 1995 when I was given a book by Caroline Mytinger,” says Michele.

After years of planning and research, the expedition took place in 2005, 80 years later. 

“It lasted 2 months and included a noted cameraman, an audio person, an additional research/photographer, Dick Doyle, our historian from the Witu Islands, Dr. Andrew Moutu as our anthropologist and field expert, and the captain and team from the MV FeBrina.”

The team has travelled all the coastal regions of PNG where Caroline painted, with the exception of the Fly River. 

Michele visited Fly River just last month with prints of Caroline's artwork produced in 1929.

The team also covered Solomon Islands in 2005.

“I would say the highlight is finding the descendants to be subjects in Caroline’s painting. We found relatives in Marovo Lagoon, Yela, Hanuabada and Elevala.”

Renowned PNG artist Jeffry Feeger has joined the project, offering his own interpretation of Caroline's work, revealing both the cultural continuities and the dramatic changes that have occurred over the past 100 years.  

The documentary connects Caroline, Michele and Jeffry’s artwork in a story that celebrates the people of Melanesia and illustrates how art transcends time, genre and geography.

“There are many known and unknown artists who are participating in the film. Namely Siaka Heni, headdress maker from Elevala but there are also lesser known artists, like John Wayne, a carver from Marovo Lagoon, Solomon Islands and many,” Michele said.

Headhunt Revisited connects these artists in a story that is personal and universal, illustrating with painting, photography and filmmaking, that all forms of art are instrumental in communicating stories of culture and tradition.

More info on the project can be sourced on website: http://www.headhuntrevisited.org/donate.html

 

Picture: Jeffry Feeger’s latest painting for the project collection titled Through Siaka’s Eyes (Supplied: Jeffry Feeger Art)

 

 

 

Author: 
Gloria Bauai