Project Profile: Headhunt Revisited

By Michele Westmorland

Sixteen years ago, a friend of the family handed me a book. She was dying of cancer and I was saying my goodbyes. With a smile on her face, she said “I want you to have this book. I know how much you love this part of the world, and I think there is a bit of you in it.” Little did I know how New Guinea Headhunt by Caroline Mytinger would impact me for many years.

Caroline Mytinger was an American artist who authored two books and painted 25 oils and a myriad of sketches from her journey to Melanesia in 1926-1930. It took me years of investigation to discover who this woman was and what drove her to travel so far. Because of the depth of her story, I enlisted the help of Karen Huntt, who would become my partner in the project, “Headhunt Revisited,” in 2001. Two more years of research went by, but it was only when we discovered the location of the paintings and saw them for the first time that the project became a reality.

 
"Iomai," oil painting by Caroline Mytinger.

The paintings were in a collection warehouse, owned by the Phoebe Hearst Museum of Anthropology. Karen and I, with limited funds at the time, traveled to Berkeley to see a few of the paintings, hoping to determine their condition. When the collections manager pulled the first one out of its storage location, we stood in awe, a few tears trickling down our cheeks. It was the painting titled “Iomai,” and it depicted a proud young man in his outrigger canoe. I remember looking at Karen, marveling: “It’s gorgeous… Even how she got all the hues on the water.” The painting’s beauty – and its ethnographic detail – had us all stunned. As we viewed the other nine paintings, it was clear that there was a story here, and I knew that telling Caroline’s story would become my personal passion project.

It was another 6 months before we had the funds to see the rest of Caroline’s artwork at the museum. Not only were Caroline’s story and paintings important to revive, I knew that it was an opportunity to tell the story of a culture been impacted by Western influence. To educate the public about Caroline’s paintings and the people of Melanesia, we needed to retrace her footsteps, so we launched a plan for an expedition. Because of my years of travel to Papua New Guinea, I began by consulting with friends and associates in the country. Alan Raabe would be a good start. Alan, with whom I had spent a great deal of time filming the magical underwater world, was the owner and captain of a live-aboard dive vessel, FeBrina. He would introduce me to people on the ground that could help manage the expedition.

It took us a year to map Caroline’s journey. Once our plan was in place, we had to develop a business plan and budget. Karen and I prepared presentations to give to various organizations to begin the fundraising process. The first task was to align ourselves with a non-profit, which would provide a way for donors and sponsors to give charitably and receive a tax credit. Wings WorldQuest, whose mission is to celebrate women of exploration – past, present and future – was the second of two organizations to which we submitted our plan, and it was a perfect fit. Financing an expedition of this size is no small feat. In addition to securing the FeBrina to be our housing and transportation, we needed to hire a filmmaker, an audio person and a cultural expert. We were fortunate to find all of these, especially Dr. Andrew Moutu, a trained anthropologist and a national Papua New Guinean. In-kind services were also important, including air fare, photo and computer equipment, communication, clothing, and other essential items.

Oro Province Sing-sing. Image captured in Kofure Village, Tufi/Cape Nelson area, Papua New Guinea

 
Four villagers participate in traditional dance show. Image captured in Tawali Area, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea

I have traveled to many countries around the world, and experienced wildlife and landscapes that few people ever get to see. But the expedition for Headhunt Revisited was probably the most life-changing. Working as a team always has challenges, but try living on a 72-foot dive boat for almost 2 months! Long crossings had some of our team members holed up in their cabins or feeding the fish over the side of the boat. Fortunately, that wasn’t me. Injuries are always a concern but they certainly didn’t stop Karen when she fell on a steep, slippery slope in the jungle, nor me when I got stung by a swarm of jellyfish as I waded into the surf to get a low angle shot of an isolated small island. Meetings between us and our filmmaker (not always completely happy!) were held at the bow of the boat. We all wanted to make sure that we captured the images – still and video – that we needed to tell the entire story as it unfolded.

One of the biggest decisions of the journey was when and where to cross the Gulf of Papua to the Fly River Territory – the last of 3 legs of the expedition. With 15 foot seas and a small vessel, however, it was not going to happen. As with many expeditions, we had to implement Plan B. I love this quote by Edie Widder: “Success in life depends on how well you handle Plan B. Anyone can handle Plan A.” Sometimes changes do work out for the best – had we gone to the Fly River, we would never have discovered the origins of the full body tattooing depicted in the painting “Sarli and Wife.”

Kaluabu Skull Cave near Hiliwae Village. Image captured in Tawali Area, Milne Bay Province, Papua New Guinea

 
Young village girl. Image captured on Wuli Island in Rossel, Louisade Archipelago, Papua New Guinea

One of the most emotional moments on the journey was when we discovered descendants of the people depicted in the painting “Marovo Lagoon Family.” We knew in the back of our minds that this might happen, but considered it a dream because 80 years had gone by since Caroline visited Melanesia. But when I looked at the faces of two sons, and then at the father pictured in the painting, it was a connection that brought emotions from deep within – not just for me but for the two men standing in front of me, holding a print of Caroline’s beautiful painting.

Marovo Lagoon Family," oil painting by Caroline Mytinger.

Headhunt Revisited has two missions. One is to rekindle the story of Caroline and bring her art back into public view. Our goal is to produce a book and documentary film, and to have Caroline’s paintings re-exhibited. Our other mission, however, is vastly more important. We needed to consider how we could give back to the community; Caroline had a dream to show the beauty and pride of the culture, and to educate the Western world about keeping traditions intact. Therefore, with Caroline’s story as the “hook” to capture people’s interest, we hope to teach and inspire them to respect the culture of Melanesia and to learn more about this fascinating part of the world.

The hurdles have been great. This is a large project – the total project cost is over $700,000 – but even small ones can run into problems. Finding donors and sponsors can be challenging – and a full time job! Evaluating partners that fit with your project takes time too, but if you tell your story well, it’s amazing how many will actually want to participate. Our biggest hurdle has been finding grants that fit with our project. It has many storylines, reaching out in all directions. Tailoring grant applications to fit particular organizations is difficult. Another big challenge has been the economic crises. It has virtually brought our project to a standstill. The good news is that we are beginning to see signs of hope; although we still need more than $300,000 to finish the post-production of the documentary, Karen and I are optimistic and committed to bringing Headhunt Revisited to completion.

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Michele Westmorland is a freelance photographer based in Redmond, Washington. Michele has created a vast library of imagery from around the world. Her commercial work includes travel, resort properties and lifestyle images. She is also passionate about conservation and is proud to be a Founding Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers (iLCP). She is also a Fellow National of the Explorers Club, and a member of the Society of Woman Geographers, Wings WorldQuest, ASMP and NANPA. Finally, Michele has recently been inducted into the Women Divers Hall of Fame.

Michele’s images have appeared in national and international publications, and have gained international recognition by winning several awards, including Grand Prize in the Papua New Guinea Underwater category, Environmental Photography Invitational, Photo District News, and more. Her book Ocean Duets was published in 2006 and shows the beauty of the underwater world. As a speaker, Michele gives lectures on culture and the marine environment and also leads photography workshops. Upcoming lectures will be at the Explorers Club in San Diego, the Long Beach Aquarium and, as a keynote speaker, at the 2011 NANPA Summit in McAllen, Texas.

Michele’s personal website is www.westmorlandimages.com.

Email: michele[at]westmorlandimages[dot]com

Learn more about Headhunt Revisited here. See the trailer of the Headhunt Revisited film here, and follow the project on Facebook!

Text and images, including the photographs of the paintings, are © Westmorland Images / Mytinger Project and cannot be reproduced for any reason without written permission from the copyright holder.