Things are Looking Native, Native's Looking Whiter
Name/Title
Things are Looking Native, Native's Looking WhiterEntry/Object ID
HUM-2014-00004Description
This work of photomontage places an image of actress Carrie Fisher as Princess Leia in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope next to a 1906 Edward Curtis image of a young Hopi-Tewa woman, whose distinctive “squash blossom” hairstyle greatly resembles the iconic hairstyle associated with the Star Wars character. This is a commentary on cultural appropriation in popular media, especially in fantasy and science fiction, which commonly adopts visual signifiers from non-Western cultures, but features almost exclusively white directors and actors. Galanin’s work comments upon how a massive media franchise like Star Wars has created and perpetuated a visual language immediately recognizable to the vast majority of people with any exposure to Western media, utilizing decontextualized imagery derived from non-Western cultures.Artwork Details
Medium
Giclee printCollection
Permanent CollectionCategory
Print