Untitled (person in Native American totem-pole costume at Beaux Arts Ball) c. 1950

Curator: This small photograph by Jack Gould captures a striking moment: a person in a vibrant totem-pole costume at a Beaux Arts Ball. Editor: The first thing that strikes me is the image’s somewhat faded quality, lending an air of history to this... appropriation. Curator: The costume itself is a fascinating study in form. Notice the flat planes of color and the simplified figuration, creating a visually arresting, almost architectural effect. Editor: Yes, but what about the labor involved in creating this costume? The hours spent cutting, sewing, painting, all contributing to a spectacle that commodifies indigenous culture. Curator: One could also see the costume as an attempt to engage with, albeit imperfectly, the visual language of Northwest Coast art. The verticality, the repetition of motifs, all resonate. Editor: Resonate, perhaps, but within a system of power where the maker is divorced from the cultural context, where the indigenous artisan is erased. Curator: I find the formal interplay of shapes and colors quite compelling nonetheless. Editor: And I’m left considering the cultural implications of that interplay.