An Instillation

This week's assignment was a little outside my comfort zone, but it was still a fun experiment in creating an exhibit space.

Step One: Mission statement, take-home messages, and storyline

The mission and take-home messages remains similar to FPA’s in that it is to get people to understand that objects are a part of a larger history. That the everyday things we love are things we adapt to serve our purposes. Objects, though ordinary, are reflective of our lifestyle and become our history.

Step Two: Organize your storyline into “galleries of thought”

For me, the exhibit should be organized thematically by type, for example, clothing, toys, metals, or paper grouped together or near each other. This enables viewers to compare and contrast the objects to each other as well as time compare a grouping to objects in their personal lives.

Step Three: Inventory in the content and pin down the most important facts

The important part is to clearly link the objects to each other as to not make them appear to be random, things, but everyday things that hold meanings. This also should be done in a way that enables viewer to make the connection not only to thematic areas but to the overall collection. For FPA, the linking element is the value given to objects by people. These objects borrowed from real people show how we can take something with a specific traditional function and attach other purposes and sentiments to it.

Step Four: Find ways to motivate and engage your visitors

There should be multiple perspectives for each object, ideally two histories and a personal story or a longer history and a couple of stories to show that there is no one standard value. Voice-overs, films, texts, or touch screens can be used to encourage active participation by visitors. There should be areas to interact with objects, for example by touch (but use other non-valuable pieces). There would be locations set up around each grouping where people can tell their responses and display them up (on a cork board, magnetic board, etc). Soft, inviting music would be plated to calm the room, to make it less sterile and more welcoming. With visual interest and being allowed to tell their own story, it facilitates the message that these objects are more than histories or stories but connections to everyday life and that we make our culture.

Step Five: Plan the “look and feel” of your exhibit

Even though all the types will be together they will be arranged in a visually appealing manner. Not in height or style order but mixed to add interest. Lighter colors (off whites, blues, greens) will brighten the space without overpowering the objects. Also staggering along the wall or tables are the text panels in a pattern but not a strict linear line (because that gets boring). The main goal is to create a comfortable, homey space rather than a sterile space. The set up is like a home- living space, play space, office, dining area- to create a sense of comfort and familiarity. The objects become less on display and more associated with being in a home. Comfortable seating arrangements will be used, such as in clusters around sections of object to encourage conversation and to write their own reactions. The exhibit also flows from one area to the next, however it is not fixed (you don't have to go in a specific order to make sense of the place). 

Step Six: Produce the exhibit

Floorplan was an excellent site to create a blueprint of the exhibit. Even my non-artistic skills looks somewhat creative with this source.

Culture Divides

The rebozo is used in differently across Mexican culture as it strikes the balance between modernity and tradition. “As worldwide fashion trends turned toward 'modern' attire, many designers and consumers within Mexico embraced a new, more cosmopolitan look. Others cautioned against an abandonment of the nation’s traditional cultural heritage. As a result, many discussions of beauty and fashion incorporated new modern trends, while at the same time attempting to remain loyal to an aesthetic sense of nationalism and tradition.”1

 

In urban, modern areas of Mexico, traditional clothing is less likely to be worn on a daily bases or by younger generations. However, items like the rebozo are not forgotten. Traditional ceremonies, festivals, rituals, or important family events are times when traditional clothing is worn. In these times, the rebozo is a reminder of their past, of their heritage. It is worn in honor of Mexico’s struggles and triumphs since the Spanish conquest. The rebozo becomes a symbolic piece but used traditionally. For example, on a Catholic holiday women would use the rebozo to cover their heads just as it was used when the Spanish brought over the rebozo (or the repurposed local scarf). It may not be used for everyday life, but it still remains a part of their cultural past.

In other urban areas, the rebozo may be used as an accessory of fashion. In these situations, the traditional functions and symbolism are detached. The rebozo only looks like a traditional piece rather than function as one and when worn it is not for connecting with the past.

However, in rural areas such as Oaxaca and Tenancingo, the rebozo is used daily. The rebozo is used because it is practical and because of the heritage associated with it. It still covers the head in rituals or can be used for traditional folk dances, yet it is practical for carrying items. In these places, they embody their cultural past within their current culture. 

For these women, the rebozo is a large part of their culture not only in a practical sense but also in how it is made. The looms and weaving are equally important as the end product. The same method has been used for generations and they continue to carry on that tradition. However, that may all change. The younger generation in these country areas are not interested in learning the traditional techniques as they are more concerned with modernity.2

 

This transition between modernity and traditional inspired a museum exhibit recently in Ventura County, California. They took pictures of local Latinos who held onto a piece of their Mexican heritage in their daily lives. Jewelry, clothing, shawls, were all representative of holding onto their heritage while still being a part of a modern, global culture.3

 

In art, the rebozo represents the past. Most famous is Frieda Kahlo who represented herself in self-portraits with wearing the rebozo. Other artists also use the rebozo as a self-identification as part of a Mexican culture. In Mexican cinema, that trend is also present. In light of changes locally, globally, and economically, holding onto items such as the rebozo remains a constant remainder of who they are and where they came from. 

1 Rankin, Monica A.. "La ropa cósmica: Identity and Fashion in 1940s Mexico." Studies in Latin American Popular Culture 28 (2010): 96. Although she discusses trends of the 1940s, her points are still relevant today.  (entire article on pages 95-111.) 

2 Davis, Virginia and Steel, Hillary. “The Rebozo: A Mexican Tradition.” Fiberarts, 35 no. 1 (Summer 2008): 60-61. 

 

3 Lindell, Karen.  "New photo exhibit stitches together link between clothes and cultural identity." McClatchy - Tribune Business News.  18 September 2009. 

Other selected sources and background: 

Bishop, Joyce M. . ""Those Who Gather In": An Indigenous Ritual Dance in the Context of Contemporary Mexican Transnationalism." Journal of American Folklore 122, no. 486 (2009): 391-413. 

"The Culture of Mexico." http://www.earthyfamily.com/mexico-culture.htm.  

"Traditional Mexican Clothes and Costumes." http://www.buzzle.com/articles/traditional-mexican-clothes-and-costumes.html. 

 
The Greenwood Encyclopedia of American Regional Cultures: The Southwest. Santa Barbara: ABC-CLIO, 2004. s.v. "FASHION," http://www.credoreference.com.libproxy.temple.edu/entry/abcarcsw/fashion.

Some Context

The original owner of my object was woman from a middle class background, who purchased it in 1955 while on a trip. Recently, she passed on it on to her daughter. The original owner is still alive and passed on the shawl, not because she lost interest in it, but as a part of the philosophy of managing Parkinson’s disease (those with the disease are encouraged to give their items away and tie up loose ends). The daughter does not use it or wear it, preferring to keep it safe and to protect the memories associated with it.

Shawls are not a rare item or necessarily unique, and while this particular one is a handmade one it still served the typical functions associated with it. Many people throughout the world own shawls and even though this is a handmade Mexican shawl worn by an American, it still has a generic quality. That is not to say it does not have unique features, simply that there are similar objects like it in the world. While its current use is containing memories, not long ago it was used as a traditional shawl. It was both a functional part of an outfit and symbolic adornment. The owner used it to make her feel worldly as though it was an accessory. However, it still served its traditional purpose of keeping someone warm as an article of clothing. Traditionally in Mexico, a shawl served several functions: a piece of clothing, a baby sling, and a carrier for market goods. To the original owner, she used it within one of its traditional functions; to its new owner, she has shifted its function away from its traditional uses to a sentimental purpose.

With seeing the shawl and reading the story associated with it, it made the story it real and tangible. The shawl shifted from a mere object to something of value; a story from words on a page to a physical representation of them. The wear and dullness in color show repeated use, but the story gives the context for how that shawl was worn and loved. The stains are not just evidence that it was worn or used in daily interactions but that it was important to hold onto even when some would consider it ruined. They transform a general object into something unique. It is no longer just a shawl but something personal with its own history.

In my situation and the way things were scheduled, I was first exposed to the shawl from the personal story attached to it. When I actually had the opportunity to see and feel the shawl, there was a dual reaction: it made the story real but also allowed the shawl to speak for itself, a little more objective manner. However, when words and thoughts become too challenging and insufficient in describing it, I tend to fall back on the story for guidance and “evidence” of the “real” story. Objectivity can never be fully achieved but that goal is always present, while also noting the instances of subjectivity.

Take Two

I have actually seen my object, a traditional Mexican shawl, for the first time and while I wasn’t completely off, now I can describe the shawl a little better.

Length wise, it measures approximately 82 inches (not including the black and white fringe) and has a width of 22 inches. The shawl has a full small diamond pattern throughout most of the piece, with looser black and white strings weaved for (approximately) the last foot of each end. Each diamond is about half an inch to one inch, white with some black in the interior and black outlining each shape. Though it is black and white, most of it is now an off-white shade as time has changed its color. The looser cotton strings create a larger striped and checkered pattern, in contrast to the smaller, more concentrated diamonds. It appears to be hand-woven as there are no tags, empty spaces or a shadow of a former tag on the shawl. It is very durable, with signs of wear shown on the color and the threads, but there are no holes or thinning areas. The weave, probably from a loom, remains tight. The material looks and feels durable, as though it can last for years with repeated use. It has a slight but noticeable weight. It feels as though it can keep someone warm when draped over the shoulders. There are some stains on one side, possibly coffee or dirt, indicting it was worn often. Despite the shawl being 55 years old, it remains intact and in great condition.

As stated earlier it appears to be handmade, adding a layer of value beyond its monetary cost. A person labored heavily over (probably) a loom to create an integrate pattern with a cotton material that has lasted for over 50 years. (It is not easy to use a loom, even a small one with a basic weave and no pattern. It takes a lot longer than it would seem.) The cost of material, the loom itself and labor source impacts the cost of the shawl. Setting aside the initial cost of the loom (or similar tools) the shawl is relatively inexpensive. The cost would mostly come from the labor and the pattern used, in this situation the shawl has a complex pattern probably increasing its cost while still remaining affordable. Today a Mexican shawl can cost between $20 and $300. However, to the original owner (as well as the current owner), the shawl’s value is less concerned with its monetary cost then with what it represented to the owner, how she used it and the memories associated with it.

Describing the Shawl

Unfortunately I have not had the opportunity to see the object assigned to me, though within the following week that will occur. Until then I base the following from the story attached to the shawl as well as other information provided to me.

The item in question is a Mexican shawl, purchased in Mexico in 1955. Its dimensions measure approximately 4 x 1.5 feet. The shawl itself is cotton and is black and white. At this time the pattern and design of the colors (if present or recognizable) is unknown but based on images of traditional Mexican shawls it probably has a distinctive pattern with fringe strings on the ends. It would drape over the shoulders coming together in the front either loose or tied. From the story provided it seems likely to be well-worn with possible thinning in some locations, perhaps from natural deterioration (given the material and its age) or from repeated use. Whether the shawl is hand woven or machine made is unknown, however I hedge the former given when and where it was bought. Based on an internet search, traditional clothing remains largely handmade, especially before the 1980s. From the dimensions, this item would considered be a rebozo. Rebozo is the Spanish word for shawl but has a multipurpose function associated with it. A rebozo can be worn over the shoulders or head, be used to carry items from the market, or be used as a baby sling. The rebozo is still used in parts of Mexico today.

While it remains unclear as to the means of production, in either case, it would seem to be relatively inexpensive to make (although this would vary if it was hand knitted, crochet, made on a loom, or machine stitched). If it was handmade, the production would include gathering the tools and materials and the hard physical labor involved in knitting or looming it. A similar pattern of material gathering and using labor to feed and monitor the machines that make it would occur on an industrial level. Given that this shawl was bought as a souvenir in 1955, I hedge that it was a handmade item and probably on a loom. In that case, most of the item's cost would come from its labor source as it takes hours of demanding labor to complete a shawl.

Based on an internet and JSTOR search, industry and manufacturing did not become a large part of Mexican economy until the later part of the 1950s, mainly between the 1960s-1980s. Today prices for a rebozo vary from very inexpensive ($20) to hundreds of dollars. However given it was bought in 1955 and by a middle-class family, it seems likely the shawl was not extremely expensive. It also seems more likely this shawl’s value to the original owner and the price paid for it is based on its homemade quality or its traditional style.

When a person takes possession of an object it is reborn. In this case, when Kate’s mother bought the shawl, it took on her personality. She used it for her specific purpose transforming both herself and the shawl into something else, something more personal. The final cost of item then becomes priceless.

Selected Sources
Salyes, E.B., “Three Mexican Craft.” American Anthropologist, New Series 57, no. 5 (Oct., 1955): 953-973.

Ramirez, Miguel D. “Mexico's Development Experience, 1950-85: Lessons and Future Prospects.” Journal of Interamerican Studies and World Affairs 28, no. 2 (Summer,1986): 39-65

“Mexican Rebozos Wonders in Weaving.” Focus On Mexico. http://www.focusonmexico.com/Mexican-Rebozos-Wonders-in-Weaving.html (accessed September 6 2010).