Courtesy of Janice Levy JANICE LEVY HAS travelled to the African island nation of Madagascar six times. She recently returned from her latest trip. Above is a photograph of a rotting cow in the city of Antananarivo. Courtesy of Janice Levy TWO MALAGASY TEA workers trek through the thick growth with their baskets on a tea plantation in Sahambavy.

Photography associate professor Janice Levy has always felt the pull of Madagascar — she has backpacked across the island nation five times since 1992, photographing the Malagasy people and their culture.

But on her sixth trip during the spring 2001 semester, Levy said she had a “distinctly different experience.” Levy settled down in the capital city of Antananarivo for six months as the School of International Training’s Madagascar Cultural History and Geography Program Director.

According to SIT literature, the Madagascar Cultural History and Geography program focuses on the country’s cultural diversity through classes in conjunction with local universities, a home-stay program and travel to rural areas.

As Program Director, Levy said she was responsible for almost everything in the program.

“I was the on-site coordinator, counselor, teacher, advisor, nurse and doctor,” she said. “You name it, I did it.”

Levy said she was lucky to have her Malagasy assistant, Hanta, there to help her with much of the day-to-day program planning.

Levy found out about the temporary Program Director opening when the current director decided to leave for sabbatical.

“I had a sabbatical coming up as well,” Levy said. “I was eager to get back to Madagascar. I can’t believe I stayed away for so long.”

Senior Annah MacKenzie was the only Ithaca College student to attend SIT’s Madagascar Cultural History and Geography program while Levy was the director. She said the program was a wonderful experience, especially the home-stay and working with Levy.

“I’m an anthropology major and a French minor,” MacKenzie said. “I’ve always wanted to go to Africa. [Levy] knew so much and had a great sense of humor. The best party was the homestay — I had brother and sisters and even a curfew!”

With all her work, Levy said she did not have much time for her photography but was always prepared.

“[Levy] always had, like, four cameras on her,” MacKenzie said. “Most people would have been afraid to carry valuables around the capital, but she was so comfortable with it and looked so intimidating.”

Once the SIT students left for home, Levy stayed in Madagascar for two more months, anxious to delve into her photography.

Instead of traveling, Levy said she forced herself to photograph within the city of Antananarivo to give a focus to her work. The mixing of old and new energy appealed to her, and she wanted to be able to look at everything “with a fresh eye.”

This time, Levy said she photographed the “geography of space” and how people create and arrange that space. She shot in color to fully capture that organization of space.

During previous trips, she had photographed the Malagasy culture across the island in black and white film but wanted her work to change and grow with her experiences in Madagascar.

“I felt like I had been there enough times to say something different [about the culture],” Levy said. “Something more abstract and less anthropological.”

Levy also used to her two months of freedom to continue her project — a book of her photographs paired with Malagasy proverbs.

The inspiration for Levy’s work came during her fourth trip to Madagascar when she spent hours talking with Malagasy elders. She said the Malagasy practice of speaking in proverbs fascinated her.

Levy brought her photos to Malagasy elders, who matched them up with relevant proverbs. She published her book, titled “The Face of Madagascar,” in 1997.

“Photos are always collaborative,” Levy said. “The book shows my visions of Madagascar and [the elders’] view of my visions. It was a way of giving them ownership of the photos.”

After publication, Levy said she attempted to find the people she had photographed in the book. She said finding those people gives her a sense of continuity.

“Often I take photos and then never see those people again,” she said. “I’ve never been comfortable with that.”

Finding one of her subjects, from the photo titled “Tea Plantation Worker” was a great achievement, Levy said. She met the man’s family and even got another photograph — one of him holding his published photo.

These ties she makes with the Malagasy are part of what pulls her back time and again, Levy said.

“Every time I take students abroad, I say ‘never again,’” Levy said. “But then, I always go back.”