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Malo
Ceremonial Dance
14 x 11 inches, oil and spray paint on
canvas, 2019
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The Cambridge Anthropological Expedition (also called Torres Strait
Expedition) was led by Alfred Cort Haddon in 1898. The objective was to record
the customs and sounds of the indigenous Australian (aboriginal) peoples.
Haddon was well aware that his work would be important because aboriginal life
would soon be overwhelmed by encroaching civilization and zealous missionaries.
The yearlong expedition yielded many papers, artifacts, and sound recordings
now mostly housed in the British Museum. The wax cylinders, on which the music
and other sounds were recorded, are now part of the BBC Sound Archive, all
available to anyone interested in listening (and downloading) these valuable
early recordings. The masked dancer in the painting is featured in one of
several films Haddon recorded during his stay in the Torres Strait Islands.
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