Another feather in her bonnet - Kent Monkman and Jean Paul Gaultier
- akipage
- Mar 26, 2021
- 2 min read
Updated: Nov 13, 2024
We had the pleasure to produce this short poetic documentary with two great artists that we have been impressed by for many years Kent Monkman and Jean Paul Gaultier. The presentation is called Another Feather In Her Bonnet and it represents the symbolic union of two artists who have come together to challenge ideas of cultural appropriation. Miss Chief Eagle Testickle , Monkman’s shape-shifting, time-travelling, gender-fluid alter ego, and the world renowned French couturier Gaultier exchanged vows of mutual respect and compassion. Monkman and Gaultier aim to re-contextualize and re-appropriate the faux headdress, playing on the figure of the sexualized and stereotyped Indigenous woman as perceived by the colonial gaze. It was an incredible art installation that brought together two amazing artists, to challenge the idea of cultural appropriation.
So, picture this: Miss Chief Eagle Testickle, who is actually Kent Monkman's alter ego, is a gender-fluid, shape-shifting, time-traveling character who embodies the strength and vulnerability of Indigenous peoples. And then you have the legendary Jean Paul Gaultier, who designed this faux headdress that Miss Chief is wearing.
Now, the headdress itself is really fascinating because it's a re-appropriation of the traditional headdress that's been so heavily stereotyped and sexualized in Western culture. And that's exactly what Monkman and Gaultier are trying to do - they want to re-contextualize and re-appropriate the headdress in a way that challenges these dominant narratives.
The installation is a true collaboration between two amazing artists who want to start a conversation about cultural appropriation and representation of Indigenous peoples in art and popular culture. It's a powerful statement that challenges the colonial gaze and encourages viewers to question their assumptions and biases.
In short, "Another Feather In Her Bonnet" is an incredible work of art that will leave you thinking about the power of art to subvert and challenge dominant narratives and we were honoured to be part of it and to reproduce it in this short poetic documentary.
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CocoFilms is a full-service video production company based in Montreal. We specialize in event videography, commercial video production, and independent films.
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