TopMenu

Roy Caratozzolo / CARLO QUARTIERI / M.MIYAZAKI

Guest

Christopher Porche West

E-mail: porche@communique.net

For more information, please contact directly:
917 Desire Street
New Orleans, LA 70117
(504) 947-3880

The Black Mardi Gras Indians of New Orleans are a unique sub-culture of a highly diverse and complex local population group. The tradition of "masking Indian" may result from the need for celebration and self-expression among a disenfranchised people: the often very poor and, mostly socially deprived blacks living in urban New Orleans. The scholarship on the origins of the Mardi Gras Indians (a hundred year old tradition) is conflicting and many theories abound. But, the purpose of creating this documentary body of work which ultimately will include still photography, first hand personal oral histories, artifacts and video documentation, is to capture the culture as it exists today from the Indians's perspective.

This culture, like so many other micro ethnic cultures, is highly stressed and at worse, is in danger of passing out of existence. The Indians, often suffer the ravages which plague our modern society, but still struggle to secure a positive and empowered identity. At best, the culture is succumbing to change brought about by the external pressures of the need to survive modern day threats and the inability to resist conforming to society's demands for familiar sameness. To be an Indian is a very special calling. It means defying seemingly overwhelming forces and making a stand for individual power. That power is often exhibited in 'being pretty' and in 'playing Indian' well.

The Mardi Gras Indian nation is loosely organized into tribes which labor all year long in creating magnificent "suits" consisting of intricate hand beading and decoration, feathers and plumes, as well as symbolic accouterments like rifles, "sticks" (staffs), shields and tribal flags. Each suit represents many hundreds of hours of effort by the individual Indian and other helpers, and is worn only one season before it is broken down. The beaded patches which are the base of many suits are works of art and worthy of preservation as a form of true indigenous folk art. The Indians keep the traditions alive through great personal sacrifice, as an Indian suit may cost many thousands of dollars.

Although each suit is a spectacular visual manifestation of the Black Mardi Gras Indian culture, it is by no means the sole method of expression. Individual members of the tribe exhibit extraordinary skills in confrontational posturing, music, singing and role playing. At the head of each tribe is the Big Chief who controls how and when other tribes are met. Additionally, tribes may have a number of sub chiefs, a Spy Boy, a Wild Man and a Flag Boy a Queen as well as other members of the "gang". Prestige for the tribe is garnered through the beauty and intricacy of the suits, role playing and the strength of its presence in the community.

Artists Background:

The quickly vanishing Creole culture alarmed Christopher PorcheŽ-West early in the 1980's. Field work in American studies brought him to Louisiana as an undergraduate to survey library holdings, manuscripts, photographic collections and privately held heirlooms. As an extension of his work, Christopher began documenting through his own photography, the present state of New Orleans Creoles of color throughout the Seventh Ward. Additionally, a photographic survey was completed for the Jean Lafitte National Park, which became part of the permanent Visitor's Center in the Vieux CarreŽ. Much of this photographic work was deposited with local cultural institutions including Amistad Research Center and the Historic New Orleans Collection.

Throughout the intervening years, Mr. PorcheŽ-West's curiosity concerning New Orleans Creoles, transformed into a passionate mission to capture in photo documentary the beauty and dignity of people whose cultural traditions are being overwhelmed by the pressures of modern society. Mr. PorcheŽ-West seeks to preserve for our future the distinct visions and traditions of New Orleans for use by historians, writers and the culturally curious.

The documentary program currently underway is for the first time to produce studio portraiture of members of the various New Orleans Black Indian tribes. In the past, photographers have "snatched" photos of the men and children who mask Indian. This effort seeks to show the grandeur of each hand beaded and jeweled suit and a glimpse into the spirit of the individuals upholding the culture. Corporate sponsors supporting this effort include Hasselblad Cameras, Leica U.S.A.,Cannon Cameras, Ilford Film Co., Matthews Photographic Equipment Co., ProFoto Flash and others.