Rangefinder Magazine
Archives

Hans Neleman's Moko-Maori Tattoo Project by Jane Taylor
Extensive Research LeadsTo Remarkable Imagery



Ta moko exposes more than the revival of a tradition- it reveals the beauty of Maori past and the promise of Maori future,"
- Hans Neleman

In 1997, when New York City professional photographer Hans Neleman, got the idea to photograph the unusual facial and body tattoos called ta moko, worn by the Maori tribes of New Zealand, he had no way of knowing how difficult this project would be; nor the lessons he would learn along the way. In the early stages, there were times, when he feared it might never materialize. However, in the end, Neleman shot enough film to complete the book Moko-Maori Tattoo, published by Stemmie Publishers in Zurich, Switzerland in 1999, featuring 72 haunting portraits of these proud people.

"Moko is a tattoo on skin. It is also a name for lizards throughout Polynesia, and it carries all the mythical associations attached to such creatures. The art of tattooing is practiced throughout the Pacific region, but in Aotearoa, New Zealand, the Maori took the art form to a new extreme by adding a process of scarification during the tattooing process. Banned and forced underground by colonial governments, the ancient art form of ta moko was kept alive by older women who lived in remote areas beyond the pale of European condemnation. In the 70's, young urbanized Maori in search of powerful symbols of ethnic identity rediscovered the art, and moko found a new generation of skin," a quote from Pita Turei's Introduction to Moko-Maori Tattoo.

"It all began when I went to New Zealand in 1997 to lecture for the Institute of Professional Photographers. I had been interested in facial tattooing since I'd seen the movie Once We Were Warriors, so I decided to try to photograph Maori tattoos while I was in New Zealand. Although I had done extensive research on the history and culture of the Maori people before I began this project, it didn't take me long to figure out that I really knew very little about them," Neleman says.

Because Neleman was an outsider from the West, called a "Pakeha" (white man) by the Maori, and no one from the West had ever been allowed to photograph these indigenous people before, Neleman was fighting an uphill battle. Pita Turei, a Maori filmmaker and writer helped pave the way for him. Tame Wairere Iti, one of the Maori's most important political activists, was also instrumental in the project's success. Nicole MacDonald, Hans' studio manager at the time, interviewed all the subjects. Hans and his small group attended several meetings, called "hui," where the photography plans were discussed in great detail. Hans agreed that the intellectual property rights and copyright of the images belong to the moko wearers. Furthermore, he decided to donate the royalties from the book to benefit Maori ta moko.

"It was a very involved process," Neleman explains. "We were always received by first sitting in a circle. The Maori would sing and address us in their native tongue. Then we had to sing back and explain our position and reasons for wanting to photograph them. It was never just shaking hands and getting down to the photography. We were expected to take part in traditional ceremonies and rituals, like the greeting, where they press forehead against forehead and nose against nose. Basically, you bow and touch skin. That's very different from greeting someone you just met in America, where we shake hands or high-five. We always came with offerings, such as coffee and breads and ceremonial gifts, to create an opening.

"The shooting itself was also very different from the way I'm used to working. There were no lines outside the tent waiting to be photographed. We traveled through all of New Zealand, sometimes journeying two to three days just to meet one subject. Once we gained their trust, they'd recommend people who might, or might not, agree to pose for us. It was never certain throughout the entire project. Basically, it was drip by drip that I was able to enter new subjects into the Polaroid book that I took along to show new prospects whom I had already photographed."

The Maori tribes are so suspicious of white people because in the past they have been killed for their moko tattoos. The proof of this barbaric practice (the severed heads), are still owned by museums around the world, including the Museum of Natural History in New York City; however, the heads are no longer on display, for fear of retaliation from the Maori tribes. When Hans met the Rastafarians, they agreed to participate if the book was dedicated to the return of the mokomokai, the heads of Maori ancestors kept in these museums. At this point, the book had a goal that the Maori could relate to and support.

Technical Problems
A white background is consistent throughout the entire project because Hans wanted to highlight the faces and the tattoos, not distract viewers with cluttered backgrounds. A large white tent was carried across New Zealand and erected whenever they found a subject, and dismantled afterwards. After setting it up and tearing it down so often, Hans said they learned to do this task in less than 15 minutes.
Hans used a Sinar p 8x10 view camera with a 240mm lens for the final portraits. A Hasselblad 205 FCC medium format camera was used to shoot a couple of warm-up rolls before the final large format image was made. The cameras were loaded with Kodak Ektachrome SW 100 film. For lighting, Hans used Broncolor Minipuls D160 compact, self-contained monolights. With no formal studios from which to work, the electricity necessary to operate the equipment came from generators rented from farmers in the area or borrowed from whatever structures were nearby-homes, schools, office buildings, etc.

"The Minipuls worked great because I could shoot at f16and f22 on an 8X10 and get extremely sharp images-lots of depth-of-field, which is still rather shallow because 8X10 format doesn't offer much flexibility, which made for interesting shooting conditions. The subjects had to sit very still, creating a more formal atmosphere. This was perfect for this project, considering how important ritual and ceremony are to the Maori. Pita, the Maori guide, was very good at explaining the process. Most of the subjects had never been photographed in a formal sense before," Neleman explains.

Although Hans says he varied the lighting quite a bit from subject to subject, the overall light was reflected. He used the white ceiling and walls of the tent like giant reflectors to soften and shape the light. He wanted the lighting to look as close to daylight as possible.

As for posing, Hans wanted the subjects as natural as possible. However, it's impossible not to have some amount of control over their positions, according to Hans.
"I'd shoot them first with the Hasselblad," Hans says. "After a couple of rolls, they'd automatically strike different poses as the strobes went off. When I pulled out the Sinar 8X10, at times, I'd ask if they would mind trying to duplicate certain positions from the first session. It was a two-way street, but I didn't direct any moves, instead I decided to use a more subtle minimalist approach.

"The portrait of the man holding the boots was spontaneous. He walked in and took his boots off because he didn't want to track in dirt. When I noticed him standing there holding the boots, I told him to stand right there. I grabbed the Sinar and shot a full-length of him. It was natural and real. Often times, the people did not smile because they are not used to having their pictures taken. Only people from the West are willing to smile on command when they're being photographed because they're used to it. So, it was quite natural for them not to smile, and suggest happiness for no reason. They appear to be a fierce people. But, after getting to know them, we realized they feel the same human emotions as everyone else. They ask that viewers look behind the frown or glare, and see the person and the goodness hidden within. Like most indigenous people, the Maori have been ridiculed and taunted throughout the centuries. They were very conscious of having this book come across as dignified and honest, not as a joke. I took that message to heart."

Many people supported Neleman in this endeavor, and helped make it possible. In January, 1998, he was granted the Image Bank Award For Visual Excellence in the amount of $25,000. Other sponsors include: Eastman Kodak; Duggal Labs; Hasselblad; Sinar; and Bron Elektronik AG in Switzerland. Even with all this aid, Hans still spent $15,000 of his own money. Hans Neleman is a successful New York City-based commercial/fine art photographer who has worked for some of the world's best-known clients and art curators. His impressive images have been exhibited in Amsterdam, Mexico, and the United States. Readers may contact him via e-mail at:[hans@neleman.com] or visit his website at: [www.neleman. com].


Jane Taylor is a freelance writer based in the Midwest.