no name (yet) #4 by inge
I will continue my story, which started with Mr.Moscow #1, this morning at around 10 am, Rebecca, one of the women who was sitting under the family tree with the ‘local’ mob with Mr. Moscow ,came to my restaurant and asked ‘miss are you coming again today, cause my friend wants to see you too’’ I love to come now I said, but I have to work, I come later ok, ‘after work’ maybe 3 pm..ok miss.. Later in afternoon 2 men came to my shop with the biggest boab, yesterday they where carving it, ‘miss, boab is now finished, you come mangroves, with feed?’ later I said, I’m bit busy in shop, but I will come, ..ok miss…I decided to make a nice feed for them so I made 2 plastic bags ready with rice, chicken, beef&lamb, some nice bread and softdrinks, 2 bags, for 2 groups, cause they ‘sitting’ under different trees..I even put some newspaper in the bags to use as tablecloth!.finally with ‘another’ lens 70-200 2.8L ,I went to the trees,…there was NOBODY there…s*&^% what I do now ?, i thought, I went back to the shop, emptied 1 bag and was determined to get rid off the other bag, I jumped in my old cruiser and decided to drive to the main "oval’ cause in the afternoon and especially at night are big crowds…ok a deep breath and i jumped out of the car and walked in a straight line to a group of maybe 9 people….1 lady (thanks God) regognised me and screamed “Miss, what now?” so I sat down with them and one lady attacked my bag with feed, but they told her off, and the biggest women (will get her name later) started chatting and did not stop till after 2 hours..it was ‘again’ a very interesting experience..hey miss. all white fellows looking at you sitting here, oh I said ,they jeaulous,..they all had to laugh.. they want me to come back and tell their stories, well thats exactly what i want, great I will come back, and we sit down again, and I’ll take feed and a pen and paper!! cause I can’t remember there names,also. they gave me two names, one for sister and one Aboriginal, skinname,..so I HAVE to go back and tell you’s later.. Broome 21 may 2008, main "Oval’
Tags
australia, blackandwhite, bright, broome, bw, desert, despair, faith, family, fun, happy, hat, hope, indigenous, indiginous australia, indiginousaustralia, invitation, inviting, lost, mother, old, outback, pain, people, portrait, remote, sick, sister, travel, trouble, trust
Comments
wow, nice shot Inge, good story too, busy lady!!!!!! keep up good work huh
Beautiful work!
Damn tomoorws the 21 May no way can I get there.
Ok my experience these ones you’ve just got to be very wary off.
Sometimes they can befreindly and then a few seconds later all hell brakes loose.
A drinker and a heavy one. BUT has a wealth of knowledge if you can get her to trust you and you her!!
Once a gain a great portrait.
what an amazing character superb portrait
I have looked at 5 pages of your work and totally blown away. These shots remind me very much of the MILK series. You are an amazing artist. I have many favorites and plan to come back later to browse some more.
yoehoeee!!! you make my day, NO my week NO MY whole month, I had a bad day at work and YOU make me very happy!! thanks tell THE WORLD, CAUSE I THINK MILK IS great BUT many artists in one, I wanna make a book TOO !! hope one day :)
– inge
the image is outstanding..
but more than that…
it is your story that touches my soul.
I would do the same….. having been to Broome and met some of the locals and seen such sadness……. (remembering a sad old woman who came to my van one day with a carved boab, and she just said….. i drink to forget my stories….. sigh……)
Down here in the south, there does not seem to be the hardship that you must witness, though the “divide” is still there hidden just beneath the surface…….I sit and listen and take photos as you do, and would love to hear more of the stories…..the beautiful stories…..
Bless you Inge xx
As an Indigenous person I would like to advise you that what you are doing is extremely disrespectful to my people. We are not objects for you to make money from selling your photographs, prints etc. Did you ask permission to photograph this woman? Did you agree to pay her any royalty fees? I doubt it. It would be a good idea for you to read up on Intellectual property rights as they relate to Indigenous people and stop this colonial practice of treating Aboriginal people as some kind of curiosity for your commercial benefit
well i’m very sory BUT yes i know these people and they come to my shop regular, they really enjoyed i came over and talk to them and brought them feed and smokes, even yesterday, Wayne an Indigeninous Boaban carver here in Broome asked me when i was coming back to them so we can make a book about/them, we are planning this next April. Most og the people i have photograpehed have been to the shop to collect a greetingcard, like Typan, hillip Audrey etc. NOBODY besides you have spoken to me like this and it makes me very upset, cause “really mate” i;m not in for the money I’m there to have a good time and SHOW them respect and have a feed with them and respect eachother in our ways. They always ask me to come back so i’ m not happy at all the way you talk to me !
Blackcrow7007….I deeply respect where you are coming from, as I know there are many people who act as you describe…..but I think if you take a close look at Inge’s work, at her ethics and her “heart”…..you will see that she only photographs people (and I mean any people, not just those of Aboriginal culture!) with their permission and blessing, and is obviously not sneaking photos for commercial gain, but rather to honour and share both the humanity and the culture and stories of her subjects.
Please do not judge here.
I do realize that there are many people who do as you say, and act with no respect for your people or any other people for that matter (as in street photography). I do a lot of photographs of fellow australians with aboriginal culture, here in the region where I live, always with permission and always with the deepest honour and respect. I have been very careful about this, and always waited until the joy of the images was mutual.
I know the difference between oopportunism and honour, greed and respect. So does Inge.
It shows in her work, in all of her beautiful portfolio, which if you take the time to look, is a testimony to the human race, and a beautiful reminder that we are all different, yet all in this together. I feel a real sense of camaraderie from her images….not disrespect.
I have had people make comments about me taking photographs of Aboriginal people, and I do understand the need for caution and respect, but I only ever do so with their permission or at their invitation. A lot of my work is done to help promote stories, illuminate and share culture, and bring a little joy to the people I have photographed by offering them the ability to have pictures taken for their own use or stories recorded. (ie I recently helped photograph artwork so local Aboriginal children could create their own calendar to sell). Again, I believe Inge comes from the same sincere and heartfelt place.