{"id":4495,"date":"2011-10-12T10:57:22","date_gmt":"2011-10-12T17:57:22","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/?p=4495"},"modified":"2011-10-12T11:16:28","modified_gmt":"2011-10-12T18:16:28","slug":"interview-with-adam-marelli-about-his-journey-remote-island-of-tanna","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/2011\/10\/12\/interview-with-adam-marelli-about-his-journey-remote-island-of-tanna\/","title":{"rendered":"Interview with Adam Marelli about His Journey to the Remote Island of Tanna"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Click<\/a><\/p>\n

\u00c2\u00a0(Photo above copyrighted by Adam Marelli)<\/em><\/p>\n

Adam Marelli<\/a> is an artist, photographer, and builder based in New York City\u00c2\u00a0who travels the world with his trusty Leicas and captures breathtaking images of\u00c2\u00a0people and places that he visits. His travels include India, Central American,\u00c2\u00a0Europe, and Egypt and recently to the remote island of Tanna, where he\u00c2\u00a0documented the life of the locals. Read more to \u00ef\u00ac\u0081nd out about his adventurous\u00c2\u00a0journey to Tanna and the insights and people that he learned about.
\n<\/p>\n

A huge pleasure to have you Adam. For those who are not familiar with you, can\u00c2\u00a0you introduce yourself and your background with \u00c2\u00a0photography?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

You said it pretty well in the intro. I am an artist, photographer, and builder. For\u00c2\u00a0people who don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know me, I guess you could say that I enjoy making things. I\u00c2\u00a0was born in the cultural vortex known as New Jersey. That explains why I value\u00c2\u00a0travel.<\/p>\n

Recently you lived on the remote island of Tanna in Vanuatu to document the \u00c2\u00a0lives of the people there. I also believe that you are one of the \u00ef\u00ac\u0081rst photographers \u00c2\u00a0to embark on a serious project there. Can you describe what inspired you to\u00c2\u00a0partake on this trip?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The photographer\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s dream is to be the \u00ef\u00ac\u0081rst person to photograph a community.\u00c2\u00a0But its 2011, everything has been done, or so I thought.<\/p>\n

When Chief Jimmy Lum\u00c3\u00a8 invited me to Tanna, I \u00ef\u00ac\u0081gured it would be fun, but had\u00c2\u00a0no idea what to expect. I searched online for photographers on Tanna and came\u00c2\u00a0up empty handed. It was hard to imagine that no photographer had worked on\u00c2\u00a0Tanna. People travel to the island every year, but tend to visit the volcano, the\u00c2\u00a0water falls, and the tribal dances (which I learned are performances for the\u00c2\u00a0tourists). This would be the \u00ef\u00ac\u0081rst time a photographer would be invited inside the\u00c2\u00a0community. My mind raced with anxieties. What if they don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t accept me, what if\u00c2\u00a0I take crappy pictures, what if the stories are true and they are still cannibals? I\u00c2\u00a0\u00ef\u00ac\u0081nd that inspiration and anxiety usually take their morning coffees together, in\u00c2\u00a0my head.<\/p>\n

Shooting on an island with limited electricity and no internet must have been dif\u00ef\u00ac\u0081cult. Can you describe which gear you decided to bring with you and how \u00c2\u00a0you backed-up\/stored your images?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Step one, bring the right converter. For as much as I travel, I still make\u00c2\u00a0ridiculous mistakes. I brought a multi-power converter that did not work in\u00c2\u00a0Australia or Tanna, oops. Luckily I caught this mistake in Sydney. All the images\u00c2\u00a0were backed up on a Lacie Rugged Drive and on my MacBook Pro hard drive.\u00c2\u00a0When I got home, I deleted all the images from the hard drive, but I wanted to\u00c2\u00a0have two copies. I still cringe when I format my SD cards.<\/p>\n

Describe a day in the life of the Tanna people from morning to night.<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The day starts with the sun. They usually cut fresh fruit from their gardens, make\u00c2\u00a0a small amount of coffee or tea, and then relax. They have not caught on to the\u00c2\u00a0idea of \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Rush Hour.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d When I explained a typical morning in the US, they said,\u00c2\u00a0\u00e2\u20ac\u0153Yeah they do that on the main island, its not our thing.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d<\/p>\n

The daytime activities vary. Women farm, cook, and tend to the kids. The men\u00c2\u00a0deal with the trucks, houses, and ferrying people along the main road. At night,\u00c2\u00a0the men go to the Nakamal for kava and the women are back in the village with\u00c2\u00a0the kids. When its dark they go to sleep. Its so straightforward.<\/p>\n

What did you \u00ef\u00ac\u0081nd most insightful about the people of Tanna?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

One night I asked Tom Kapula (he owned the bungalow I stayed in), \u00e2\u20ac\u0153If you\u00c2\u00a0could have anything from the mainland, what would it be?\u00e2\u20ac\u009d We sat in silence for\u00c2\u00a0almost a minute. He shuf\u00ef\u00ac\u201aed his mental \u00ef\u00ac\u0081les in search of a response. Then he\u00c2\u00a0shook his head and said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I have the family, we have food, the house is good,\u00c2\u00a0everyone\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s healthy, and Lava (his brother) has the truck. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t think I want\u00c2\u00a0anything.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d He was not some Buddhist monk or Indian Siddha. He is just a local\u00c2\u00a0guy. I was stunned and humbled all at the same time. The Tannese are so\u00c2\u00a0sensible.<\/p>\n

When I asked Daniel (one of Chief Jimmy\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s students) what he thought of\u00c2\u00a0Christianity, he said, \u00e2\u20ac\u0153They like prayer and they work hard. I suppose they are\u00c2\u00a0just like us. I think Christianity is ok.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d They are more interested in what you do,\u00c2\u00a0than what you believe.<\/p>\n

How did the people of Tanna respond to you taking photos of them? Did they\u00c2\u00a0treat you more of an insider or an outsider?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Tannese treated me like family from day one. All the stories I heard about\u00c2\u00a0cannibals and tribal warfare were nonsense. They are a mellow group. Jimmy,\u00c2\u00a0Isso, and Tom went out of their way to introduce me to people in the area. Its a\u00c2\u00a0small island, so word travels quickly.\u00c2\u00a0The kids followed me everywhere, which is strange at \u00ef\u00ac\u0081rst because most of them\u00c2\u00a0carry knives and machetes. They were not the junior insurgency, its just a\u00c2\u00a0cultural thing. They were full of smiles and loved to give the thumbs up to the\u00c2\u00a0camera. The elders preferred to ask me questions \u00ef\u00ac\u0081rst. Then I was free to take\u00c2\u00a0pictures. My grandfather travelled through the Paci\u00ef\u00ac\u0081c in the Navy during World\u00c2\u00a0War II and I was born in 1980, the year of Tannese independence, so that gave\u00c2\u00a0us a starting point.<\/p>\n

In the images provided for this interview you document how you would meet \u00c2\u00a0the chiefs in the evenings and practice the ancient ceremony of drinking Kava. \u00c2\u00a0Could you describe why this practice is sacred to the Tanna people and sounds and smells of the ceremony itself?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

From the \u00ef\u00ac\u0081rst day I arrived, people ask if I have tried the kava. Its hard to\u00c2\u00a0describe what its like to sit by a \u00ef\u00ac\u0081re and drink kava with one of the chiefs. The\u00c2\u00a0technical explanation would be that kava is made by chewing the root of the\u00c2\u00a0kava plant and straining it with water. The root can only be chewed by young\u00c2\u00a0boys…and yes, you are drinking the kava chewed by someone else. This is not\u00c2\u00a0for the faint of heart.<\/p>\n

But the actual experience of this tradition, which is thousands of years old, is too\u00c2\u00a0large to put into words. It would be like explaining sex to a virgin. You have to\u00c2\u00a0try it for yourself.<\/p>\n

What are some dif\u00ef\u00ac\u0081culties that you faced with this project?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

There are no real schedules on Tanna. Isso would show up in the morning and\u00c2\u00a0say \u00e2\u20ac\u0153I\u00e2\u20ac\u2122m here to check you out.\u00e2\u20ac\u009d I still don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t know exactly that that means. I\u00c2\u00a0never knew exactly where I was going, when I would be eating, or what to pack.\u00c2\u00a0Eventually, I got used to being clueless and enjoyed the surprises.<\/p>\n

On the logistical end my girlfriend, who assists me, was not able to come\u00c2\u00a0because the departure date slipped a bit. I assembled a few project sponsors\u00c2\u00a0for things like clothing (Nigel Cabourn) and \u00ef\u00ac\u0081lm (Ilford). She was planning to\u00c2\u00a0shoot behind the scenes of me at work. When I was younger I always wanted to\u00c2\u00a0see how someone worked and what equipment they used, not just the \u00ef\u00ac\u0081nished product. But that went right down the tubes from the beginning. Its was a big\u00c2\u00a0disappointment, but there will be a few return trips.<\/p>\n

Can you tell us more about the details of the upcoming exhibition you will be \u00c2\u00a0having from your photos of Tanna?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This was just the start of the project. While its tempting to exhibit the work now,\u00c2\u00a0its only my \u00ef\u00ac\u0081rst trip to the island. As an artist, I am used to projects taking a long\u00c2\u00a0time. The pressure that photographers have to exhibit the work is something\u00c2\u00a0that everyone must deal with on their own terms. If something is not ready, then\u00c2\u00a0I say hold off on the exhibition. There will be plenty of time to develop the work\u00c2\u00a0further. The short term goal is for people to learn that Tanna exists.<\/p>\n

Are there any future projects that you plan on working on?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

This winter I am headed to Madurai, India where I am involved with a slum re-\u00c2\u00a0development project. Most documentary photography takes the \u00e2\u20ac\u0153Look, but\u00c2\u00a0don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t touch\u00e2\u20ac\u009d approach. I like to get involved because I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t believe in passive\u00c2\u00a0observation. Once you show up with a camera it changes the scene. I don\u00e2\u20ac\u2122t\u00c2\u00a0expect the pictures to change the world, but you can help people out if you are\u00c2\u00a0willing to get your hands dirty. This is where the construction skills come in\u00c2\u00a0handy.<\/p>\n

Who are some people you would like to thank for supporting your project in Tanna?<\/h2>\n

\"Photobucket\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The project would not have been possible without Chief Jimmy, Lum\u00c3\u00a8, Chief\u00c2\u00a0Narima, Chief Jack Kapum, his son Isso Kapum, Tom and Margret Kapula and\u00c2\u00a0everyone who I met on Tanna. Back stateside I would have to thank my\u00c2\u00a0girlfriend Stacy who keeps me sane (trust me this is not an understatement) and\u00c2\u00a0the project sponsors (Nigel Cabourn, Ilford, and Leica Dealer Unique Photo) for\u00c2\u00a0easing the material burden and giving me some fun toys for the road.<\/p>\n

Anything else that you would like to mention?<\/span><\/p>\n

The \u00ef\u00ac\u0081rst night, I took a walk down the beach to unwind after four days traveling.\u00c2\u00a0There were three women cleaning a tub of cow intestines in the ocean. The\u00c2\u00a0setting sunlight was perfect. I did not have my camera. The universe reminded\u00c2\u00a0me, once again, always take your camera, even if you are tired and jet lagged.<\/p>\n

Links<\/h2>\n

You can see more of Adam\u00e2\u20ac\u2122s work and thoughts about photography on his <\/em>blog<\/em><\/a>. You can also see his latest feature on my blog which involves shooting with a Leica rangefinder camera<\/a>. Adam also has an upcoming street photography workshop in New York City October 30-31st for Halloween. More info here<\/a>.\u00c2\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Share your thoughts about Adam’s project or give him a shout-out by leaving a comment below!\u00c2\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

\u00c2\u00a0(Photo above copyrighted by Adam Marelli) Adam Marelli is an artist, photographer, and builder based in New York City\u00c2\u00a0who travels the world with his trusty Leicas and captures breathtaking images of\u00c2\u00a0people and places that he visits. His travels include India, Central American,\u00c2\u00a0Europe, and Egypt and recently to the remote island of Tanna, where he\u00c2\u00a0documented the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":17938,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"advanced_seo_description":"","jetpack_seo_html_title":"","jetpack_seo_noindex":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[372],"tags":[755,367,21],"class_list":["post-4495","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-featured-photographers","tag-adam-marelli","tag-leica","tag-street-photography"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2011\/10\/EK004.jpg?fit=639%2C425&ssl=1","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4495","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=4495"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4495\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17938"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4495"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4495"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/erickimphotography.com\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4495"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}