Amos Two Bulls, Lakota Sioux, by Gertrude Käsebier, ca. 1900

I found these amazing portraits and images of Native Americans at the turn of the 19th century on Flickr from random Library of Congress streams.

This is probably not universal, but all I feel when I see these is extreme sadness, and frustration that to this day, native cultures of the world are constantly under assault, by “civilization”…  What a different world it would be if humanity was not such a destructive force, and considered its actions. 


Bone Necklace, Oglala Sioux council chief, by Heyn Photo, 1899


Three Horses by Edward S. Curtis, ca. 1905 


Mosa, Mohave girl, by Edward S. Curtis, 1903

Thomas American Horse, Oglala Sioux, by Heyn Photo, 1899 

 
Joseph Two Bulls, Lakota Sioux, by Heyn & Matzen Photo, 1900


Sego, Shoshone, by Rose & Hopkins, ca. 1899


Edward S. Curtis: Navajo chief, ca. 1904


Sunflower, Dakota Sioux, by Heyn Photo, ca. 1899


Stella Yellow Shirt, Dakota Sioux, with baby, by Heyn Photo, 1899


Goose Face, Dakota Sioux, by Heyn Photo, ca. 1900

This seems appropriate to post on this here State of the Union day. 
These represent all those who have lost everything due to the policies of the Union… 

These are from Flickr streams referring to specific Library of Congress Collections:
Library of Congress Edward S. Curtis Collection 
Library of Congress Frank Rinehart Collection
Library of Congress Heyn & Matzen Collection
Library of Congress Rose & Hopkins Collection 

The suckiest thing about being a Man who likes to dress well is that you risk looking like a Wanker.  
In fact I can say with assurance that this is the case. In the US dressing well with get you identified as an “asshole”, “a fag” (not my word), or more consistently “an uppity wanna be”.

Even so, the dandy in me says fuck you to all the lazy mother fuckers who for the past 4 decades have reduced male style to 3 options:

• “giant boy in tennies” 
• “metrosexual/dandy/gay” 
• “asshole guido business douche”.

I want to say clearly and loudly, fuck you, useless baby boomers who felt that hats where too formal, traditional and reactionary; who feel that baseball caps are acceptable head gear for men past the age of 15.

Fuck the lazy tards, who believe(d) that putting on a nice suit, and looking like a suave finely dressed man is too much work.

fuck em.

Even in the poorest hood of the poorest town of Haiti; the sketchiest corner of Kinshasa/Dakar/Yaoundé/Cape Town; the smallest town in India; men try their hardest to look and dress with an assurance and style reflecting their self worth.

Some pushing it to the bionic extreme, such as “Les Sapeur”* in Africa and the Caribbean.
 

Sadly the homogenization of style that has been occurring with the domination of hip-hop “culture” since the 80s has also made its mark the world over.

Baggie droopy, and otherwise unflattering jeans dominate the male ‘fashion’, with T-shirts, hoodies, construction worker boots, basketball shoes, and baseball caps further destroying any hope of a real revival of style around the world.

What can you do? 
Well I for one call bullshit. 
I don’t mind becoming even more of a dandy as I grow older, because in the end only you decide how to present yourself to the world.

Here are some western men, in western clothing, the super wanker metrosexual dandies for you.  
Not all are greatly attired necessarily, but all have elements of goodness and fine style, and have at least TRIED! 








 

*I am working on a post on the ‘Sapeur’ very excited about them.

Vladimir Tretchikoff, ‘Melon Time’

My chance ‘discovery’ of Vladimir Tretchikoff.

It always freaks me out when I find out about an artist, whose work supposedly dominated a time period, but of whom I have heard, seen, read nothing about.

Apparently a ‘Maverick’ a la Palin, he was one of the most commercially successful artists, of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s.
This was despite the fact that the ‘serious Art world’  completely shunned him, calling him the ‘King of Kitsch’.

The few exhibits he had in the US drew record crowds, and engaged the popular media’s attention.

Yet in all of my years of studying art history, I have NEVER seen a mention of him or his work.

When I started reading about him, I thought I was seeing a complex practical joke; like the created persona “Mr Brainwash” set up by Banksy/Shepard; but VT is very much a real person.

The work is very very strange, and I just can’t seem to put my finger on why.
There is just lot to pause about…

In the end, maybe its because the paintings are both technically excellently executed (like Norman Rockwell) but also strangely naive, affected, chauvinistic and patronizing.

This quality is taken to such an extent, it is easy to question wether his aim was to challenge ones perception of his intent. 

Is this seriously his perception of a ‘black boy’, or is this him questioning your gaze of a ‘China girl’?

This is especially true in his depictions of ‘the other’ - wether in his is portraits of women or his depictions of other races.

Here are some examples of the weird. 

The Chinese Girl, 1950’s


Coon


Dying Swan

 
Fruits of Bali