MEGAN LEWIS
CONVERSATIONS WITH THE MOB
31.03.–31.05.2009
In 2002, after accepting the invitation of the Martu – the Aboriginals of the Western desert region – New Zealander Megan Lewis went to live for five years in the Great Sandy Desert with the original Australians. As the result of this privileged experience she presented this work, Conversations with the Mob, which won the Walkley Award and a Photographers’ Choice Award.
The group of the Martu consists of around 850 members which are divided in four communities in a desert region of 136,000 km². The Aborigines move between their old world and a new, white one, and find themselves to be in-between. One of their greatest worries is that almost every week one of their community members dies from bad diet, diabetes, high blood pressure, alcoholism or suicide. Emotional, mental, spiritual and cultural conditions lead to those sad events. It is not unusual for the Martu to travel hundreds of kilometres for a funeral. Another tragic event changed the perception and acceptance of Lewis in the community, who was up until then still regarded as an outsider: At the beginning of November 2002 two members of the Martu did not return home after a hunt. After a long, unsuccessful search the group was finally able to locate them following a dreamlike vision that Megan Lewis had earlier. These events altered the relationship between the white woman and the Australian aboriginals; Megan Lewis was no longer a photo journalist, an outsider. From now on she was a friend of the Martu and a woman with spiritual powers. This special relationship is reflected in Megan Lewis’ work. Seing her photographs means to enter into a dialogue with the Martu and to intruduce their perception of alcohol, grieving, football, humour, relationships, sexual abuse, health or spiritual powers. In this way she reflects the everyday lives and problems of the original inhabitants of Australia.
For the first time outside Australia, WestLicht is presenting this powerfully expressive and narrative work.
back
Continue