Cultural Appropriation of 'First Nation' Symbolism in Contemporary Fashion

Page 1

with the original producers. Also artists like Luger help promote empathy and inclusivenes as their artwork serves to raise awareness while also poking fun at the absurdity of it all. As long as we manage to pay respect and treat the native creatives and their traditions as equals we avoid the risk of intercultural offence.

Nevertheless, this discussion about cultural appropriation shouldn’t discourage designers and creatives to embrace the cultural diversity of the different native nations as it is also a great chance for society to preserve the past and build up a common future - based on respect and empathy, rather than exploitation and ignorance.

How exotic! How charming! Cultural Appropriation of ‘First Nation‘ Symbolism in Contemporary Fashion

‘okay, noted!’

Contexts Presentation 9th May 2013 Lisa Lorenz MA Design and Art Direction MMU


notes Our cultural world is built upon our collective past as a society, upon the whole picture of all nations and peoples, upon our collective and separate past, our memories.

post-colonialism Rituals and traditions have formed not only our personal lives but also constantly fed our visual culture. We, as part of a collective, a nation, built up our identity on these guidelines of patterns and stories. ‘The conquest of the earth, which mostly means the taking it away from those who have a different complexion or slightly flatter noses than ourselves, is not a pretty thing when you look into it too much. What redeems it is the idea only. An idea at the back of it, not a sentimental pretence, but an idea; and an unselfish belief in the idea — something you can set up, and bow down before, and offer a sacrifice to.’ Heart of Darkness (1899) by Joseph Conrad

Today, due to migration and the internet, our personal Visual Heritage is a constantly changing remix. Inspiration is everywhere, from everywhere. Fashion and Pop Culture offer us a colourful bouquet of ready-made cultural eyecandy. Unfortunately, most of the time, the exact context of the beautiful and stunning design will remain a mystery. We don’t know much about this pattern or that necklace. Who invented it? H&M?

how exotic! how charming! Urban Outfitters? Out of nothing? But why should we care. We like it. It is beautiful. Speaking as a German we never had to deal with topics like postcolonialism or the issue of invading a first nation’s country. Nevertheless, as a consumer of today’s Pop Culture we become part of this issue. Especially the Fashion Industry profits on the rich selection of the cultural heritage the world’s peoples offer on a silver plate. Officially nothing of our cultural heritage is copy-protected. The only guidelines we should - but don’t need to - follow are the old values of honour and respect. And there’s more to come: the designer is part of this remix machinery. The fashion industry in particular, interwoven with everyone’s life, will explore these visuals and use them for its profit.

cultural imperialism vs. cultural diplomacy What is the creative’s moral and professional obligation considering the use of these rich sources of inspiration? Is there a right way to be inspired by something? Is this whole discourse harming the creative flow? Whereas high-end fashion designers often claim to be paying tribute to the native cultures, whose original design they’ve obviously used as inspiration for their latest collection, the original meaning

of the design is lost to the mainstream shopper. This is act of ignorance is maybe not necessarily done on purpose but in the end these naïve acts can cause offence and become an ethnographical propaganda act - very similar to dull pornography.

hipster racism Creatives throughout the ages have been using remix as a form of progress. In the 70s Hippies had been inspired by ‘natives’ and their rich imagery. Somehow their use of the symbolism was more sensitive to history, religion and tradition. One may only assume that the internet did the greatest share to the loss of empathy and seed of ignorance in design and wild everyday use of ‘native’ patterns, symbols and garments.

exoticism & orientalism Exotism (the presentation of one culture for consumption by another)

‘I lay on the beach, waiting for Christopher Columbus to discover me for the 500th time.’ Guillermo Gómez-Peña for ‘The Exploratorium’

Eventually our fascination for these foreign, beautiful visuals is also enhanced by the lack of our personal cultural heritage. We are a remix ourselves. Our

history is blurry and far more undefined than the heritage of these ‘nobel savage’ peoples eg. the navajo nation. Not only were Non-Western societies thought of as being untainted by industry and capitalism, they were also perceived as morally superior and more devout than their European counterparts. Sara J. Oshinsky

utilitarian art and ‘l’art pour l’art’ Currently, most fashion designs are using the original designs out of context. Sometimes the origin of the design may even be unknown or falsely referenced. Designers are in danger of romanticising and degrading the cultural value of the native designs they appropriate, not appreciate. Native stereotypes and cultivated and original symbolism is erased. That’s why, in my opinion, education and professional research is inevitable for all practitioners involved in the process of cultural remix. In order to guartantee inclusiveness and a fair and appreciative design process it would be best to find methods of collaboration. Examples like ‘native(x)’ and the design work of Schouler show that it is possible to create something of higher contextual value working in a team


artists

post-colonialism

websites

Cannupa Hanska Luger Frank Buffalo Hyde Guillermo Gómez-Peña Coco Fusco Jodi Webster Kimiko Yoshida Hannabah Blue

Native American Artists take back the Headdress http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/state-of-the-arts/archive/2013/03/native-american-artists-take-backthe-headdress.shtml American and Australian ‘First Nation’ artists talking about their work http://frankbuffalohyde.com/artwork/2063428_ Frank_Buffalo_Hyde_and_Reko_Rennie.html

http://www.nativex.net/ http://www.jezebel.com/ http://culturalappropriationon.tumblr.com/

designers John Galliano - Dior Mac Bishop - native(x) activists Lolla Mohammed Nur exoticism Exoticism in the Decorative Arts http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/exot/ hd_exot.htm This is not a cruise http://www.thesmartset.com/article/article08060708.aspx

appropriation The Stream When Traditions become Trends https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=Ksc6KnDMtNU Cultural Appropriation the Hipster Session https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=5oNrZt8fWW8 Postmodern Identity Politics http://hemisphericinstitute.org/cuaderno/indigenous_encuentros/pages/interpret_02.html Native Americans take back the Headdress http://minnesota.publicradio.org/collections/special/columns/state-of-the-arts/archive/2013/03/native-american-artists-take-backthe-headdress.shtml

videos Coco Fusco and Guillermo Gómez-Peña http://bombsite.com/issues/42/articles/1599 No Doubt - Looking Hot http://www.dailymotion.com/video/xv0y6d_ looking-hot-no-doubt-official-video_music#. UYjgNqLZaSp Addams Family 2 - Thanksgiving Scene http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=2VbYZDohsHk Steve Aoki - Cudi the Kid http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WMq6MLo_ eSM Ke$ha - BlaBlaBla http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=fMDVab94aeM Outcast - Hey Ya! http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=W3tWeE6A3Mw Hannabah Blue - It’s Trendy to be Indian http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cST5JSrY1iA

Contexts Presentation 9th May 2013 Lisa Lorenz MA Design and Art Direction MMU


bibliography Primitive Art (1940), Adam, Pelican Books Intercultural Communication (2003), Samovar/ Porter, Thomson Wadsworth Intercultural Communication and Ideology (2011), Holliday, Adrian, SAGE Publications Ltd. Illusions of identity : the art of nation (1993) Willis, Anne-Marie, Hale & Iremonger Orientalism (1978), Said, Edward W., Routledge & Kegan Paul Culture and Imperialism (1994), Said, Edward W., Vintage London Heart of Darkness (1902), Conrad, Joseph The Oxford dictionary of literary terms (2008), Oxford University Press

Contexts Presentation 9th May 2013 Lisa Lorenz MA Design and Art Direction MMU


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.