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Malou Mallison
poet and photographer
North Shore of O'ahu, Hawai'i
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Malou Mallison is well-known on the North Shore of O’ahu as a photographer of uncommon vision; her works have been known in local markets and shops for many years.
She hails originally from Stamford Connecticut, and grew up largely in Massachusetts.
Malou had a long and highly-successful career as a national on-radio personality. Over 20 years she worked her way up commercial FM radio as a deejay and tech producer, starting at Yale University Radio. She hosted a late-night show with KROQ Los Angeles, one of the top FM music stations in the country, following up on similar success at KGB San Diego. Through that time she met and worked with many of the musical talents of the 80s and 90s.
She was a music engineer for Frank Zappa, Bonnie Raitt, Shadoe Stevens, and others, and worked as a satellite transmission engineer on Mt.Wilson, the major observatory in Southern California.
In Hawai’i, Malou has served as a high school teacher, and private math tutor, and started her business as a fine art photographer of the local scene, focusing on visionary interpretations of the North Shore. Recently, she appeared in the poetry slams at Mark’s Garage in downtown Honolulu and shared her photography there; her work is becoming increasingly known in Island galleries.
Here are some personal observations from Malou Mallison:
“I was born Mary Louise in Connecticut, but started mysteriously carving Pacific mahogany tikis as a kid. There was a Hawaiian named “Malou” somewhere in my New England heart.
I liked school but carefully made sure that I didn't excel. I started working in broadcasting while I was still in high school at the Yale radio station --some wonderful minds there!
For many years, through my career in commercial radio and television, photography was just a way to keep track of my life. I had no idea that people would like to look at my images until "big Wednesday" in 1996 – when some of the biggest waves in history hit the North Shore. I was shooting that monstrous surf from my front yard at Shark’s Cove, and another photographer asked to see what I had – he convinced me I had something.
I look at the world just a little differently, and this comes through in my shots. I seek symmetry, certain patterns, colors and textures, sometimes more than the content.
A few years ago, I began to suffer from seizures, which cause amnesia in varying degrees. One day I woke up from a big seizure unable to walk or talk. After a few days I was able to look at my photo albums for the "first" time, and wondered who had shot them. I also discovered that was suddenly a poet and stand-up comic – of sorts.
Life will give you what you are ready to receive.
Photograph;
"Moon Warrior"
Malou served as the head judge for the statewide "Images of Forgiveness" Awards, sponsored by the Hawaii Forgiveness Project.
For more samples of Malou's work online, go to
malousions.com
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