The traveling exhibition New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians: Contextual Portraits From an Insider's View
is on display at Louisiana's Old State Capitol from February 1 -- March 28,
2001. Filled with kaleidoscopic, explosions of color as seen through the lens of Louisiana
photographer J. Nash Porter, the exhibition is a 30 year retrospective
visual history of the Black Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans. "More
than illustrations that express the aesthetics and creative eye of the
photographer," said Dr. Joyce M. Jackson, the exhibit's curator, "the
images are subjective interpretations of an African American folk
tradition in one particular region of Louisiana."
The Mardi Gras Indian tradition emerged as a celebration practiced
exclusively by African Americans who drew on Amerindian, African, and
West Indian rhythms and motifs to create a folk ritual that is unique to
New Orleans. First documented in the 1800s, it is not known exactly
when the tradition started. Since the early history of New Orleans,
cultural distinctions (French, Spanish, and Anglo) have maintained a
rivalry between districts -- the Uptown and the Downtown. This rivalry
was adopted by the African Americans and subsequently exhibited by
Indian tribes from the respective neighborhoods.
In the early decades of the tradition, the tribes physically fought and
carried weapons such as guns, knives, and hatchets. in recent decades,
the resolution of conflict on a physical level has been transferred to
rivalry on an aesthetic level. The competition is through
improvisational music, informal dance, and by exhibiting the most
beautiful suit -- the most ornate full-body masque.
"Elaborately plumed and intricately beaded costumes are the hallmark of
the Mardi Gras Indians. The distinguishing and detailed bead-work
usually depicts Native American themes," said Jackson. "Every year a
new suit is constructed by each Indian that participates in Carnival.
It takes many painstaking hours over the course of a year to complete a
Mardi Gras Indian masque and the Indians take great pride in their
artistic and cultural accomplishments." Included in the exhibit are
numerous striking examples of magnificent beaded patches from actual
Indian costumes dating back to 1974.
"Each year on Mardi Gras Day, St. Joseph's Day, and Super Sunday,
neighborhood tribes display their dazzling, colorful costume artistry,"
Jackson continues. "The tribes move through the community in informal
competition with a call-and-response chant punctuated by drums,
tambourines, and makeshift instruments. When opposing tribes meet,
there is dancing and general 'showing off,' all with a shared pride in
'suiting up as Indian.' Faithful, neighborhood supporters, known as the
'second liners,' sing and dance behind the Indians during the
procession. Participants in this street theater -- with accompanying
percussive rhythms, creolized song texts, and colorful feathered
explosions -- reflect respect and homage to the American Indian and the
African ancestral legacy."
Born in New Orleans and raised in an Uptown neighborhood surrounded by
the sights and sounds of the urban streets, J. Nash Porter's career
combines documentary and commercial photography, and photo-journalism.
"Through the lens of my camera, I share with others the exciting
tradition that I grew up with. Hopefully, I can ignite a spark of
enthusiasm and bring about an awareness in other communities for the New
Orleans Mardi Gras Indians," said Porter.
Formally trained at San Francisco State University and the University of
California at Berkeley, Porter has owned and operated a photography
studio since 1972. Although his most prolific work is with the New
Orleans Mardi Gras Indians, his photographic exhibits encompass an
amalgam of African American blues and jazz musicians, and traditional
cultures of the American South, West Africa, and the Caribbean. The
prints in this exhibit, selected from thousands of
negatives accumulated over the past 30 years, reflect his vast
experience in portraiture, as the majority of the Mardi Gras images are
portraits in context. "This type of shooting is not an easy task,
particularly during the revelry of Carnival," said Porter. "I cannot
control lighting, background, movement, and atmosphere -- conveniences
usually available in studio work. Framing and composition decisions
must be made instantly, without delay, in the context of this colorful
street theater."
"New Orleans Mardi Gras Indians: Contextual Portraits From An Insiders
View" is sponsored and produced by Cultural Crossroads, Inc., a Baton
Rouge, Louisiana based non-profit organization dedicated to programming
artistic expressions of African Americans and to exploring the
incredible connections to Africa and the Diaspora. Porter is the owner
of Porter's Photography in Baton Rouge and Jackson is an associate
professor in the Department of Geography and Anthropology at Louisiana
state University, also in Baton Rouge.
The exhibit can be viewed at Louisiana's Old State Capitol, 100 North
Boulevard, beginning February 1 through March 31 from 10:00 a.m. to 4:00
p.m. weekdays and 12:00-4:00 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. For
more information, contact Anne Crochet at (225) 342-0500 or (800) 488-2968.