Heathen Chinese No. 17 1869 - 1874

Editor: This is *Heathen Chinese No. 17*, created sometime between 1869 and 1874 by Jeremiah Gurney. It’s a photomontage, currently at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. The scene looks quite staged and perhaps a bit…satirical? What catches your eye? Curator: Well, isn’t it curious? Immediately, my thoughts swirl like autumn leaves – that floating hat! It suggests the artificiality of the scene. Gurney has constructed this encounter. A commentary on perception, perhaps? Does it strike you as gently humorous, or something more…pointed? Editor: It feels… complicated. The title alone is provocative. I’m curious about the term ‘Heathen Chinese’ and its use here. Curator: Ah, the language! Laden with the prejudices of the era. “Heathen” implies a lack of religion, seen through a Western lens. And “Chinese” reduced these individuals to a singular identity. Gurney, through photomontage, is deliberately creating a tableau. But whose perspective are we seeing? And to what end? Do you find it feels like an attempt to understand, or something else entirely? Editor: I’m not sure. The careful composition… It feels like observation, but maybe a bit distanced. What do you make of the subjects themselves? Curator: The gaze, the attire, the cards…every detail is designed, right? Consider that the ‘orientalism’ on display flattens cultural specificity into stereotypes. Do we learn anything genuine about these people, or only about how they are perceived? Perhaps the picture is in the prejudice. What will they say? What card do they keep to themselves? Editor: It's unsettling to realize how much historical baggage a single image can carry. Curator: Exactly! And isn’t it fascinating how a work from so long ago can still provoke so much thought? It almost feels like that levitating hat, always hovering, ever reminding us of the illusions we project onto each other.