Post by Okwes on Sept 24, 2007 8:46:33 GMT -5
Indian Museum dress exhibit comes up short By Robin Givhan The
Washington Post Friday, June 1, 2007
WASHINGTON — Sometimes a dress — no matter how historically
rare, culturally significant or spiritually meaningful — is just
boring.
This unfortunate fact has nothing to do with the value of the garment or
even its beauty, but rather the circumstances under which it is
presented. One of the surest ways to guarantee a dress will fail to
excite either the mind or heart is to put it in a museum and treat it
with too much reverence.
An exhibition of the most dazzling clothes begins to feel like drudgery
when the garments are imbued with so much gravitas that they lose the
vibrancy that comes from the quirks, foibles and humor of the people who
wore them.
The exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian burrows
deeply into the details of American Indian women's attire. But it
focuses on the subtleties without clarifying the broader story.
"Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native
Women's Dresses" examines the culture of dressmaking handed down from
mother to daughter, and the importance their beading and sewing skills
occupy within their community. The exhibition, which runs through Jan.
2, doesn't merely look back at artifacts, but also addresses the work of
contemporary women from various tribes.
The influence of those women, who served as contributors and
consultants, is felt throughout the exhibition. (There are videos of
them discussing their work.) Their sincerity leaves little room for
skepticism, debate or humor.
One is informed the garments are revered as a way of connecting one
generation to the next without ever learning whether that is what makes
them exceptional.
Is this different from the intergenerational culture of quilting?
The clothes evolve over the years as wool fabrics and glass beads are
brought into communities by traders. But from the information presented,
one would be hard-pressed to figure out why those transformations —
brought on by the passage of time, the influence of outsiders and
desires within the American Indian communities — are so different
from the ways in which attire has changed among other peoples.
One learns about the symbolism of elk teeth (longevity) and turtles
(health and fertility), but that knowledge hangs in the air, interesting
but detached. If a culture wears its fascination with longevity and
fertility on its sleeves, how does that inform the way in which the
elderly and children are perceived?
Viewing the exhibition is a bit like entering a conversation going at
full speed. From the snatches of sentences, it's clear the topic is
important. But you don't have enough information to engage in a rigorous
intellectual dialogue.
The exhibition catalog provides some back story. It should be required
reading before entering.
All clothes reflect the realities of their times, making them expressive
cultural artifacts. But one longs for examples of cultural connections,
to see how traditional dress was influenced by outsiders and to know
whether those outsiders were changed.
Washington Post Friday, June 1, 2007
WASHINGTON — Sometimes a dress — no matter how historically
rare, culturally significant or spiritually meaningful — is just
boring.
This unfortunate fact has nothing to do with the value of the garment or
even its beauty, but rather the circumstances under which it is
presented. One of the surest ways to guarantee a dress will fail to
excite either the mind or heart is to put it in a museum and treat it
with too much reverence.
An exhibition of the most dazzling clothes begins to feel like drudgery
when the garments are imbued with so much gravitas that they lose the
vibrancy that comes from the quirks, foibles and humor of the people who
wore them.
The exhibition at the National Museum of the American Indian burrows
deeply into the details of American Indian women's attire. But it
focuses on the subtleties without clarifying the broader story.
"Identity by Design: Tradition, Change, and Celebration in Native
Women's Dresses" examines the culture of dressmaking handed down from
mother to daughter, and the importance their beading and sewing skills
occupy within their community. The exhibition, which runs through Jan.
2, doesn't merely look back at artifacts, but also addresses the work of
contemporary women from various tribes.
The influence of those women, who served as contributors and
consultants, is felt throughout the exhibition. (There are videos of
them discussing their work.) Their sincerity leaves little room for
skepticism, debate or humor.
One is informed the garments are revered as a way of connecting one
generation to the next without ever learning whether that is what makes
them exceptional.
Is this different from the intergenerational culture of quilting?
The clothes evolve over the years as wool fabrics and glass beads are
brought into communities by traders. But from the information presented,
one would be hard-pressed to figure out why those transformations —
brought on by the passage of time, the influence of outsiders and
desires within the American Indian communities — are so different
from the ways in which attire has changed among other peoples.
One learns about the symbolism of elk teeth (longevity) and turtles
(health and fertility), but that knowledge hangs in the air, interesting
but detached. If a culture wears its fascination with longevity and
fertility on its sleeves, how does that inform the way in which the
elderly and children are perceived?
Viewing the exhibition is a bit like entering a conversation going at
full speed. From the snatches of sentences, it's clear the topic is
important. But you don't have enough information to engage in a rigorous
intellectual dialogue.
The exhibition catalog provides some back story. It should be required
reading before entering.
All clothes reflect the realities of their times, making them expressive
cultural artifacts. But one longs for examples of cultural connections,
to see how traditional dress was influenced by outsiders and to know
whether those outsiders were changed.