What comes to mind when you think of the word ‘cosmopolitan’? Perhaps the pink cocktail, the fashion magazine, or an entity composed of people from diverse countries. Each idea embodies the word in its own way, reflecting inevitable international syntheses, globalization phenomena, and cross-cultural pollination. With distinct components worldwide, each contributes to a greater whole. But what makes each piece individual, and what entangles one with the other? Are they truly so different, or do they share more in common than we realize?
Layers of historical nuance embedded in multicolored fabric express this intermingling of cultures in an installment by Yinka Shonibare. The British-born Nigerian artist is largely known for exploring African identities in the context of European colonialism, particularly through colorful textiles. One of his most notable pieces, “The Swing (after Fragonard),” was originally inspired by Fragonard’s painting.
At first glance, Fragonard’s original work appears rather unassuming. A young woman dressed in a pink, frilly gown reminiscent of “frou-frou” fabric—named after the rustling sound of the movement of women’s dresses—sits on a swing in a lush green forest. Her dress is typical for upper-class women in this period, featuring petticoats and corsets designed to create a slim silhouette, as well as a lacy collar to accentuate a lady’s neckline and face. What starts as a rather innocent scene unfolds into a scandalous one: a man is looking up at the lady’s skirt as the woman looks down at him. Her kicked shoe falls in the direction of a Cupid statue as if it were keeping a secret, alluding to a possible affair between the two. All this occurs while an older man, likely her husband, pushes her on the swing, oblivious to the illicit activities occurring right in front of him. The painting exemplifies the hedonistic tastes of the elite just before their inevitable overthrow in the French Revolution.
Image Courtesy: Wallace Collection
Shonibare offers a modern interpretation of this work in his “The Swing (after Fragonard).” Instead of a painting, his work takes on a third dimension: a headless mannequin—a tongue-in-cheek reference to the beheadings of the elites during the French Revolution—is seated on a swing surrounded by foliage. In place of the original pink dress, Shonibare’s subject is adorned with colorful, layered fabrics in the same fashion as the original painting’s star.
Image Courtesy: Elisa Quevedo
The eye-catching fabrics signature to Shonibare’s work are “African” Dutch wax fabrics. These textiles were inspired by Indonesian batiks, hand-dyed clothing imprinted with unique patterns using hot wax. The wax is used to cover parts of the motif not meant to be dyed, and the repetition of this technique results in the distinctive complex patterns seen today. The art of batik and its elaborate designs have extensive influence, as evidenced by countries in the surrounding region that practice it, such as China, India, and Japan.
Western colonialism brought about a new age of economic imperialism, allowing various European countries to set up trade operations and monopolize markets within occupied regions. As a result of trade practices between European and Asian countries, batik patterns diffused and were adapted into Dutch wax fabrics; instead of dyeing and applying wax by hand, the process was industrialized to mechanically print batik-inspired designs on wax-resistant cotton. After commercializing their culturally appropriated textiles in Holland, Dutch wax fabrics were marketed toward African colonies, especially since these “imposter” fabrics were deemed inferior compared to traditional batik when sold in Indonesia.
Further adapted these fabrics to their respective cultures. As such, they have come to take on different names: Ankara in West Africa, Pagne in Francophone Africa, and Kitenge in East Africa. These adaptations were further spurred by many of these colonies gaining independence after the 1950s as newly independent countries mitigated import dependencies by producing the fabrics domestically. Different countries then developed their own fabric patterns for various purposes ranging from everyday wear to formal and traditional wear.
Image Courtesy: Taste of Southern Africa
The fabrics used today reflect stereotypes on what one associates with a culture; they are as authentically “African” as they are authentically “Dutch.” But this doesn’t take away from the cultural impact these fabrics have had, nor does this downplay how assimilated the fabrics have become into the cultural identity of many African countries. Today, fabrics have been embraced by various regions in Africa as a method of nonverbal expression, with patterns representing a wide variety of ideas, including but not limited to personalities, cities, phrases, and events. Typically worn by women, many of the fabrics represent unspoken meanings understood colloquially and are often a sign of wealth, status, and positions of power.
The globalization of fashion and the extensive impacts of imperialism have left a complex interplay between cultural appropriation and exchange that leaves cultural identities open to new interpretations. While the so-called “African” nature of the fabrics’ origins is fictitious, the pride with which they are embraced in many countries is authentic, incorporating elements of local traditions throughout. Today, these fabrics are symbols of resilience and a shared identity that goes beyond borders. Cultural identity is not a one-size-fits-all; instead, it is a labyrinthine tapestry interwoven from the culmination of experiences, traditions, and influences that, like fabric patterns, can change over time. It all certainly has a cosmopolitan swing to it, don’t you think?
Written and Curated by: Alexis Amoyo
Blog Published and Directed by: Salette Cambra
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