Figurehead: Turk's Head c. 1937

Editor: Here we have Henry Murphy's "Figurehead: Turk's Head" from around 1937. It looks to be a drawing, possibly in watercolor, of a wooden figurehead. The open mouth and intense eyes are quite striking. How do you interpret this work, considering its historical context? Curator: The image certainly demands attention. Immediately, I'm struck by the carica­ture, the exaggeration of features, especially given its title "Turk's Head." We need to consider the historical context: 1937. How were depictions of "Turks" or, more broadly, people from the Ottoman Empire or Muslim-majority countries, framed at that time? What stereotypes might have been prevalent and how might this object, as a ship's figurehead, have reinforced or challenged them? Do you see any traces of that in the visual language here? Editor: Well, there's a certain… theatricality to the features. The wide eyes and open mouth could be seen as somewhat dehumanizing, reducing a group of people to a spectacle. But what about the choice to create a figurehead in the first place? Curator: Exactly. Who commissioned it? For what purpose? Figureheads are often symbolic representations of the ship’s name, its owner’s aspirations, or national identity. Was this meant to project power, wealth, exoticism, or something else entirely? Considering it now, the image prompts us to confront the historical gaze, how difference was constructed, and what purpose such constructions served in reinforcing power structures. What do you think the purpose might be for contemporary audiences? Editor: It encourages us to be aware of how we perceive those unlike ourselves, even today. It shows how the legacy of past misrepresentations can continue to affect contemporary social justice discourse. Curator: Precisely! It’s a potent reminder to deconstruct the stereotypes we internalize and to critically analyze the visual narratives that shape our understanding of the world and other cultures.