'RITUALS'
A photo exhibition by David Longstreath
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'As a young boy growing up in the United States’ Southwest, summertime meant piling into the family car, an aging pink and white 1955 Crown Victoria Ford, and heading off to the outdoor drive-in movies. Pre-feature grainy news reels were a favourite and Mondo Bizarro was the best of them. There, in all that movie footage, were snake charmers from India and elephants from Africa, but the rituals of Southeast Asia were what truly captured my attention. Munching salty popcorn and sipping a cold Coke, these pre-movie clips kept me curious. Eventually, my mother, in her Southern drawl, would offer, “those people are weird’’. But for me, it was pure magic.

My love of unique festivals and exotic events has never dimmed. Having travelled the world as a photographer for over 40 years, I’ve worked in more than 50 countries. Finding the next best festival has always been a quest.

'RITUALS' is a presentation of Thailand’s Vegetarian festival. The photographs are from the many ceremonies. Body piercings, fire walking and massive street procession make up the bulk of the work.'
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David Longstreath is a retired Associated Press photographer, a team Pulitzer Prize winner in 1993, he currently lives upcountry Thailand and continues to photograph the rituals and festivals of the region. His current show, entitled "Rituals" is the first in several shows planned for Cho Why in 2018.

http://www.lightrocket.com/davidlongstreath
http://www.davidlongstreath.photoshelter.com/