In 1993 when Maureen Lambray began documenting the Tzotzil, Tzeltal and rain forest Lacandon indians of Chiapas, Mexico, a state bordering Guatemala, there was little difference from centuries ago in the traditions, clothing or religion of these indigenous people. After the Zapatista Rebellion against the Mexican government in 1994, an inundation of Army troops and peace negotiators speeded up the process of change. In addition, an influx of campesinos from other Mexican states began the process of destroying, through slash-and-burn agricultural practices, large portions of the Lacandon jungle, laying to waste not only the environment but to the ancient traditions of the Lacandon as well. Lambray's documentary photographs are noted for their clarity of vision of cultures in transition. They exemplify the photographer's historic insight and sensitivity to the peoples of other countries under the pressures of stress and change, as in her work covering the Afghan/Russian War, the PLO, and refugee prison camps on the Cambodia/Thailand border. Our technological age, while being beneficial in one way, has created painful economic disparities, and has also begun the dismantling of a simpler moral code based on community and family.

"Miyelo" is comprised of a series of large-scale, panoramic photographs of a Lakota Ghost Dance. They record a re-creation of the dance that was originally performed by members of Chief Big Foot's band on December 29, 1890 near Wounded Knee Creek, South Dakota. These long exposures represent what was intended as a hallucination by a veteran of the Wounded Knee Massacre, as shot in the California Desert in March 2003 for the movie "Hidalgo." The intent was to capture the event as a delirious remembrance, an ephemeral dream. The artist hopes these images might illustrate his belief that regardless of the context of any specific time or place, "we communicate, at best, as outlines and silhouettes to each other; blurry vanishing tracings of what we really see, feel and mean." An accompanying book will be published by Perceval Press and made available at the gallery.

Viggo Mortensen is an accomplished photographer, painter, poet and actor. His work is the subject of numerous books and has been exhibited at The Robert Mann Gallery, Track 16 Gallery, Fototeca de Cuba and most recently at Museet for Fotokunst in Denmark. Upcoming exhibitions are scheduled at The Wellington City Gallery and Massey University in Wellington, New Zealand this December.

November 13 - December 31, 2003