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For twenty-five years D o u g l a s C u r r a n has b e e n a key f i g u r e in the area of p h o t o g r a p h i c practice that explores t h e w a y s that i m a g e s c a n p r o v i d e a p r i v i l e g e d v i e w of ' o u t s i d e r ' s u b c u l t u r e s a n d societies. In the mid-70s he r e c o r d e d the belief systems of f l y i n g s a u c e r c u l t s , later w o r k e d w i t h M e t i s c o m m u n i t i e s in N o r t h e r n A l b e r t a a n d p u r s u e d travelling tent preachers in t h e A m e r i c a n S o u t h . In 1 9 9 2 , w h i l e w o r k i n g o n a m o t i o n picture in Z i m b a b w e , C u r r a n m e t a g r o u p o f m i g r a n t f a r m w o r k e r s f r o m M a l a w i , a m e e t i n g t h a t resulted in a series of r e p e a t e d visits to M a l a w i a n d literally t h r e w h i m into the mysterious a n d 'secretive w o r l d of the C h e w a p e o p l e , their masks a n d spiritual beliefs. E v e n t u a l l y C u r r a n w a s i n i t i a t e d i n t o t h e secret masks a n d rituals of the C h e w a a n d Gule Wamkulu are the m a i n subject of Curran's e x h i b i t i o n . The A f r i c a n heat and light seem to o o z e out of m a t e r i a l , a rarely u s e d p h o t o g r a p h i c ' p a p e r ' t h a t the images with a luminosity resembling 1980s Cibachrome. Curran's provides that of p h o t o g r a p h s , in p a r t b e c a u s e t h e y are p r i n t e d o n Fujiflex T h e e x h i b i t i o n has sixty p o r t r a i t s , a s a m p l i n g of m a s k s a n d v i d e o of t h e m a s k s b e i n g u s e d as p e r f o r m a n c e devices in the rituals. The video shows village performances of Gule Chief Wamkulu (The G r e a t D a n c e ) a n d a n i n t e r v i e w w i t h Nyau Chitule, Curran's longtime travelling c o m p a n i o n a m o n g the C h e w a . This is t h e first e x h i b i t i o n of t h e s e p h o t o g r a p h s in North America. Douglas Curran lives in N o r t h V a n c o u v e r . The new PHG b r o t h e r h o o d and c h a r g e d w i t h the project of recording the (The G r e a t Dance). Those rituals, a n d t h e masks that carry their m e a n i n g , c a t a l o g u e o f this e x h i b i t i o n w i l l be a v a i l a b l e at t h e o p e n i n g . B o o k s o f his e a r l i e r p r o j e c t s , s u c h as In Advance of the Curran is t h e first p h o t o g r a p h e r t o s y s t e m a t i c a l l y record Landing, t h e U.F.O. project, w i l l also be a v a i l a b l e d u r i n g t h e t h e Nyau m a s k s a n d r i t u a l s . He is a l s o p e r h a p s t h e first exhibition at the P H G s h o p . p h o t o g r a p h e r t o h a v e d o c u m e n t e d t h e rituals of an A f r i c a n society o n l y after b e i n g i n d u c t e d i n t o t h e ' b r o t h e r h o o d ' t h a t g u a r d s a n d m a i n t a i n s t h e m . Travelling w i t h a s e n i o r e l d e r of t h e Nyau, C u r r a n c a m e to k n o w the m e a n i n g s a n d stories The Elephant Has Four Hearts: Photographs of Nyau Rituals is o n v i e w at P r e s e n t a t i o n H o u s e Gallery, J a n u a r y 8 t o F e b r u a r y 27. O n S a t u r d a y J a n u a r y 8 at 3:00 p m D o u g l a s C u r r a n w i l l a talk a b o u t his life a m o n g t h e C h e w a p e o p l e a n d present answer nights b e h i n d each mask, a n d his portraits, c o m b i n e d w i t h their titles, c o n v e y m u c h of that m e a n i n g to viewers, even if, a n d perhaps especially if, they have never b e e n t o M a l a w i . His w o r k raises q u e s t i o n s a b o u t t h e i d e a of d o c u m e n t a r y p h o t o g r a p h y a n d h o w p h o t o g r a p h e r s a c q u i r e t h e r i g h t t o r e c o r d t h e life a n d activities ot p e o p l e f r o m any culture. q u e s t i o n s a b o u t t h e e x h i b i t i o n a n d his e x p e r i e n c e s . G a l l e r y hours: noon to 5 pm W e d n e s d a y to Sunday and Thursday til 9 p m . For m o r e i n f o : 6 0 4 . 9 8 6 . 1 3 5 1