Ornate Noggins

Ornate
Noggins:
The
culture,
portrayal,
and
history
of
headwear
inthe
americas
CuratedbyTheoCarol

Ornate
Formilennium,headcoveringshavebeenacrucialaspectofhuman
attireforfashion,function,andtradition,andlikemanythingsof
greatculturalvalue,thisimageryisthenreflectedinart.Someofthe
earliestknownportrayalsofheaddressesinartarefrom the
Paleolithicera(27,000-20,000BCE)includingthefamedVenusof
Wilendorf.Whatwasonceseenashairisnow recognizedtobea
fiber-basedwovenheaddresssimilartocoiledbasketry(Chico16).By
placingsomethingatopyourheaditputsitintheforefrontof
everyone’sview.Itisapowerfulstatementtodecoratesucha
significantandvitalpartofthebodyandcreatesanemotional
connectionbetweenthewearer,whatisbeingworn,andtheviewer.
Acrossaloftheworkpresentedinthisexhibitionthereisone
commontheme,reclaimingandupholdingofcultureandtradition.For
someoftheartistsfeatured,suchasGracielaIturbide,LuisGonzáles
Palma,andNicolasJanowski,thatisbydisplayingtheirownculture
throughananthropologicallensinanattempttopersonalyreconnect
withit.Forothers,includingWendyRedStarMartineGutierrez,and
ZigJackson,itisawayforthem toexplorehow theircultureand
identityhasbeenco-opted,stolenfrom,andmistreatedinorderto
pleaseanoutsidepower.Formanyoftheseartists,theirhomeland
hasbeenplaguedwithviolencetowardstheirancestors:landwas
conquered,peopleenslaved,andcultureerased.Bydisplaying
traditionalmotifswithinacontemporaryframework,andbyusinga
contemporarymedium suchasphotography,visualaspectsofa
person’sculturalidentitycanbesalvaged.Pieceswithhistorical
significancethatwerecommodifiedandseenascostumesarenow

Noggins
beingrepresentedbythosewhoknow them betterandcandothem
justice.
Thepowerthattheuseofphotographygivesthesepiecesoverjust
showingaheaddressorevenapaintingofaheaddressistheuseof
livingpeople.Whenviewedinasolelyhistoricalsense,itiseasyto
forgetthelivingpeoplewhostilrepresenttheculturebehindthe
headdress.Throughphotography,notonlyistheartistgivenavoice,
butthesubjectsaswel.Youcanseetheiremotion,suchasinGraciela
Iturbide’spiece,astheystandproudofwhattheywearandwhatit
represents.Theyarenolongersilencedastheywerewhen
photographerslikeEdwardCurtis,famousforphotographingthe
AmericanWestandNativeAmericans,shapedtheirstoriestohisown
desires,emittinganymodernamenitiesandpresentingnativepeople
as“noblesavages”.Theseartistsnow areopentosharetheirown
historiesandidentities.
Thisexhibitionsetsouttosurveyhow eachartist(GracielaIturbide,
ZigJackson,MartineGutierrez,WendyRedStar,LuisGonzálesPalma,
andNicolasJanowski)explorepastmisconceptionsandfuture
interpretationsoftraditionalheaddressesinordertotelnotonlya
personalstorybutthestoryofgenerationsbeforethem.Bybringing
togethersuchadiversearrayofcultures,itbecomesobvioushow
similarsomanyofthestoriesare;thefightbetweendestructionof
culturebyoutsidersandpersistenceofbeauty.Thisbringstoquestion
how thesepiecesmaybereinterpretedinanotherthousandyearsand
how individualidentitieswilcontinuetochangeinanever
homogenizingandglobalizingworld.

Wendyredstar
Unlikethemajorityoftheworkinthisexhibition,WendyRedStar’spiece
ismoreofphotographicmultimediapieceratherthanjustastraight
photograph.Theimageitselfwastakeninthelate1800sbyCharlesMilton
Bel,aphotographerworkinginWashington,D.C.(Birmingham Museum of
Art).Theseimagesendedupmakingtheirwayintothepublicdomain,
withoutthesubjects’consent,knowledge,orinformation,strippingthem
oftheirbodilyautonomyandcommoditizingtheNativeAmericanculture
andclothing.Forexample,themaninthisphoto,MedicineCrow,wasused
inanadvertisementforHonestTea.AppropriationofNativebodiesand
clothingisnotuncommonthough.Theyhavebeenusedtoselcigars,
tobacco,cologne,andarefrequentlyusedasmascotsforsportsteams
(Zucker).
Throughheruseofannotationsandtracingsonthepictures,RedStar
attemptstohumanizethesesubjectsandturnwhatwasoriginalyan
exploitationintoanexaminationofthepersonfeaturedinthephoto.By
examiningthemeaningandsymbolism inMedicineCrow’sclothing,ithelps
topresentitasnotjustasymbolofanative,butapersonwithstories
behindwhattheyarewearing.Aseachpieceofhisheaddressandclothing
hasaspecificmeaningandarerepresentativeofhisindividualidentity.For
example,hishairbowswereasignthathehadcutanenemy’sthroatin
war(Zucker).Eachsubject’sheaddresswashighlypersonalizedand
showedtheirachievementsandaspectsoftheirpersonality.
AsRedStarisaCrow IndianandwasbornontheCrow Indian
Reservation,shefeelstheneedtokeepthesetraditionsandstoriesalive,

evenconnectingwiththedescendantsoftheMedicineCrow andthemany
othermenpicturedinBel’sportraits(Zucker).Byreshapinganon-native’s
interpretationofNativecultureandgarb,shefightsagainsttheerasureof
NativeAmericanidentities.Attemptingtoundothedamagethatyearsof
presentingNativeAmericansasnamelessethnographicfigureshasdoneto
theculture.Byfocusingonspecificsofeachperson,suchasthemeaning
behindspecificaspectsofMedicineCrow’sheaddress,shenotonly
exploresaloftheCrow
tribe’shistoriesbut
individualhistoriesaswel.
RedStarmakesaneffortto
continuethisintothefuture
byusingherowndaughterin
herworkgivingherthetools
tocontinuepassingon
Nativetraditionthrough
art(Mentzer).
WendyRedStar
Peelatchiwaaxpáash
/MedicineCrow (Raven)
2014

ZigJackson
Throughoutadvertisements,movies,andmedia,NativeAmericansare
mythicizedandspiritualizedreducinganentireculturedowntoa
caricature.ZigJacksonattemptstodeconstructthesemisconceptionsand
mythsthroughtheuseofjuxtapositionandbycontrasting“normal”
scenarioswithidealizedversionsofNativeAmericans.Indoingthis,
JacksonchosetofocusononeofthemostappropriatedaspectsofNative
Americangarb,thefeatheredheaddress.Bywearingastereotypicaland
historicalyinaccuratefeatheredheaddresswhileparticipatingin
mundaneactivities,itdisplaystheabsurdityofpopularmedia’s
representationofNativeAmericans.NativeAmericansareeveryday
peopletoo,notalong-forgottenpieceoffolklore.Jacksonsitsandrides
thebus,wearingsneakers,jeans,andsunglasses,hisheaddresssticksout
likeasorethumbwhilehisclothesanddemeanormakehim blendin.
Jacksonattemptstocontrasttheglamorization,representedbythe
headdress,withtherealityofthesituation,thebusandmodernclothes
(Taylor60).
Inadditiontotryingtoshow thetruenatureofhisheritageandidentity,
Jacksonalsoattemptstobringawarenesstotheerasureandforced
assimilationofNativeAmericansbytheUnitedStatesgovernment.Not
onlydoeshisuseofa“traditional”headdressshow thecontrastof
mainstream societyandNativeAmericansociety,italsoshowsthepower
struggle.From the1930stothe1960s,theIndianAffairsrelocation
program wasineffectwhichaimedtointroduceNativeAmericansinto
“mainstream America”butonlytrulyservedtoassistinwipingouttheir

culture.Jackson,whoattendedagovernmentsponsoredIndianboarding
schoolasachild,equatestheprogram backtowhenthecolonizers
originalystolenativeland(Jackson34).Thisimageisalsomeantto
representthethrustingofNativePeopleintothismainstream cultureand
theirpersistencetoholdontotheirheritageinthefaceofexploitation.
ZigJackson
IndianManontheBus
1994

GracielaIturbide
OncetheheadquartersfortheSpanishconquestoftheAztec,the
MexicantownofCoyoacánisalsothebirthplaceofphotographerGraciela
Iturbide.AsthehouseofHernánCortés,leaderoftheexpedition,looms
overthetownsquare,itisaconstantremindertothelocalsofthe
massacresandviolencethathadtakenplacethere.AsIturbidesays
herself“Wearethechildren,thegrandchildren,andthe
great-grandchildrenofSpaniardswhocametoMexico.Andwehave
inheritedthisambiguityofloveandhatredfortheSpaniards,becausewe
alhavealittlebitofthem inus.”(Kaufman37).
Inthisimage,NuestraSeñoradelasIguanas,aZapotecwomancanbe
seendonningacrownmadeupofiguanas.Thisimageisfrom atraditional
ritual,TheRedFish,thatcombinestwohighlysacredandimportantaspects
ofZapotecianculture:marriageandanimals.Thistraditionalmarriage
ritualisacelebrationofthenew bridelosinghervirginityandherpassage
intowomanhood(Matus20).Thereissong,dance,andmostimportantly
zoomorphicimageryeverywhere.TheZapotecianpeoplearehighlyintune
withnatureandmuchoftheirreligionisbasedaroundthenaturalworld.
Theirdeitiesarebasedonanimalssuchaslizards,aligators,turtles,and
wildcatsandtheybelievetheywerecreatedbythedeityPitàoCozàana
alongwiththerestoftheworld’sanimals.Astimewenton,andSpaniards
begantointroduceChristianityintotheCentralAmericanareas,cultures
begantobeerased.AnalternatenameforPitàoCozàanabegantobeused,
Cozàanatào,whichnow insteadofthebeliefethatheisresponsiblefor
solelythecreationofanimalsandnature,it’stranslatedtothecreatorof

althingsandismorerepresentativeoftheChristiangod(Lind16).
InIturbide’spiece,sheattemptstofightagainstthiserasureof
indigenouscultureandreligion.Thewomaninthepicturestandsstoicaly,
lookingoutunflinchingandproud.Thebackgroundisblurredandonlyher
face,headdress,andaslightbitofherbodyareinfocus.Thereisaclear
connectionbetweenthewomanandtheiguanasperchedatopherhead,a
symbiosisbetweenwomanandnature.Italmostactsasadoubleportrait,
givingequalattentiontoboththewomanandtheiguanasonthe
headdress.Likeinmany
ofherimages,Iturbide
bringsattentiontoa
lesserknownindigenous
civilization,oneofmany
thatwithoutthoseinthe
communityactively
upholdingtraditions,
wouldbecomeadead
culturelikethatofthe
Aztecbeforethem.
GracielaIturbide
NuestraSeñoradelasIguanas
(OurLadyoftheIguanas)
Juchitán,Oaxaca
1979

MartineGutierrez
InherpieceXōchiquetzal‘FlowerQueztalFeather’,MartineGutierrez
attemptstoexplorehermanyconflictingidentities.Asabi-racialperson,
halfMayanhalfAmerican,aswelasaqueertransperson,Gutierrezsays
shelivesina“grayarea”stucksomewhereinthemiddleofalofthese
labels(Rosen).ThroughoutaloftheimagesinIndigenousWoman,the
seriesinwhichthisphotoisfrom,Gutierrezexploreswhatitmeanstobe
anindigenouswomanandwhatthatlookslikeinthemodernworld.In
somephotossheisdrapedinMayanandAztectextiles,traditionalfruits
andflowers,orholdingtraditionaldols.Shebelieveslanguagedoesnotdo
herjustice,thatlabelsaretooconstrictingtorepresenthermultifaceted
identityandpreferstoworkinavisualmeanswherethereisnotabinary,
whatyouseeinherworkdoesnotlenditselftojustonelabeloranother
butattemptstointegrateandminglealofheridentitiestogether
(Calderón).
ThisspecificimageisoneofmanywhereGutierrezdressesupasa
traditionalAztec,Mayan,andYorubadeity.InancientMayanculture,many
godsandgoddesseswerenotrestrictedbyagenderbinaryand
multigenderedwerecommoninthemythology.Thiswaslookeddownupon
bySpaniardswhoseview ofGoddidnotalignwiththiskindofthinkingand
viewedtheseonceholyfiguresasdemons(Rosen).Gutierrezattemptsto
reclaim thisbyusingherself,atranswoman,torepresentXōchiquetzal,
thegoddessassociatedwithfertility,femalesexualpower,beauty,and
craftsdonetraditionalybywomensuchasweaving.Herheaddress,hair,
andeventhehandpaintedframealreflectstheseideasofbeautyand

craftsmanship.Inaddition,byobscuringherfacewhiledressingasa
traditionalymorefemininegoddess,itbuildsuponthegenderambiguity
thatGutierrezwantstoexemplifyinMayancultureaswelasinherown
genderidentity.Shealsoputsamodernspinusingcontemporary
decorationsintheheaddresssuchasplasticbeads.Thisismeanttoexplore
how thesetraditionaloutfitsexistinthemodernworldandattemptsto
distanceitselffrom how thesearenormalyshown,asantiquities,and
insteadpresentsitasalivingrepresentationoftheculture.
MartineGutierrez
Demons
Xochiquetzal‘FlowerQuetzalFeather’
2018

NicolasJanowski
Comparedtosomeoftheotherartistsshowninthisexhibition,Nicolas
Janowskihasalwaysbeenmoreofanoutsidertoculturesheaimsto
represent.BorninBuenosAires,oneofthemostcosmopolitancitiesin
SouthAmerica,JanowskihasalwayshadafascinationwiththeAmazon
anditspeople.Oneofthemaingoalsofhisphotographycomesfrom an
anthropologicalstandpointwhereheaimstoshow theconnectionsand
peacethatpeoplecansharedespitetheirpossibleviolentpasts(Rohter).
ThisimageofaMoxenodancerwastakenatoneofthelargestyearly
festivalsfortheBolivianpeople,theFiestadeMoxos.Ahighly
choreographedfestivalthatoccursattheendofJuly,streetsare
decoratedwithcolor,fireworksareshotoff,andhundredsofperformers
danceforonlookers.Inthisimage,amalewarriordanceisbeing
performedcaledthedanceoftheMacheteros.Inthepicture,theman’s
headisadornedwiththetailfeathersoftheparababird,whichwasthe
outfitforalofthewarriorsinthisdance.Thisdancehadbeenperformed
forthousandsofyearsandwasmeanttoshow how althingsthatdieare
rebornwiththefeatheredheaddressexemplifyingthisbymimickinga
risingandsettingsun(Lunnon).
JustastheculturesshowninGracielaIturbide’sandMartineGutierrez’s
pieceswerealteredbyChristianity,thisdancewasaswel,andisnow
moreacelebrationofthemixingofMoxenoandJesuitculture.The
headdressthatoncerepresentedarebirthofallivingthingsisseentoday
asrepresentingtheresurrectionofChrist.Basedonarcheologicalrecords,
theMoxenopeopleweresomeofthemostsophisticatedintheAmazon

RainforestbutwassilencedanderasedbyChristiancolonizers.Through
theuseofphotography,Janowskibringsthisculturebacktolife.Thephoto
isblurredanddizzyingplacingtheviewerintothesceneandlettingthem
getaglimpseofwhatthedancemaybelikeupcloseandinmotion.Itis
aliveasopposedtojustaheaddressonastandandbyshow itinuselets
theheaddresstelitsownstory.Whiletraditionalmotifsarestilbeing
used,theirmeaninghasatleastpartialybeenlostforgoodintheeyesof
manyofthelocals.
NicolasJanwoski
AMoxenoDancerinBolivia
CityofTrininidad.Boliva
TheAmazons
2012

LuisGonzálezPalma
Inmanyrespects,LuisGonzálezPalmagoesagainstthegrainof
representationcomparedtotheotherartistsinthisexhibitionby
presentingamuchstarkerportrayalofhisfelow indigenouspeople.Itis
notanhonoringofmixingheritageslikeNicolasJanowksi,noraproud
displaysuchasGracielaIturbide,orevenareinterpretationofhistorylike
WendyRedStar.InPalma’sphotosyoucanseethepaininhissubject’s
eyesastheystaredeadpanintothecamera.Palmasetsouttoshow areal
representationoftheGuatemalanidentitywhichhedescribesaslacking
thefestivitiesofotherSouthAmericancultures(Delpierre124).Itisnot
tryingtobeanythingbutwhatitis,ashowcaseofanexploitedpeople.
Theadditionoftheheaddressinthisphoto,ElLeon,isareminderofthe
past,notacelebrationofit.Thepowerthatatigerskinheaddress
representscontrastswiththesomberfacedman.Itsitsflatonhishead,
limpandwrinkled,arepresentationofaoncepowerfulcivilization.In
addition,Palmaincorporatesaspectsofmultimediaintohispiece,painting
hisphotographswithvarnishandapplyingpiecesoffabric,walpaper,and
lacearoundit(Knowles40).Thisenhancestherundownandtiredfeeling
thatthephotographalreadyelicits.
Whilethisportraitissomberandslightlydecrepit,itisnotdisrespectful,
andthereiscertainlystilhopeleftinthem.Despitethelackofemotionon
hisface,themanintheportrait’seyesshinebrightwhite,signifyingthat
despitethediretimeshestilhassoul.Hewearshisheaddressevenifit’s
meaninghasbeendestroyedbypassingtimeandoverreaching
government.Thedeadpanstyletheportraitisshotinletstheviewerstare

intothephotoasifitwasamirror.Alowingnotonlyareflectionofthe
subject’ssoul,history,andpainbutofself-reflectionaswel(Delpierre
124).Palmavaluesthisself-reflectionwhenviewingphotosandoneofhis
goalsistogettheviewertoquestionthemselvesandtheirimpactsinlife.
LuisGonzálesPalma
ElLeon
1994

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