Blankets as Decor
Situated clearly within the American History narrative, having Indian blankets as decor speaks to cultural appropriation, cultural absorption, white culture’s arrogance, and a historical association with the proposal to use smallpox-infected blankets against Indigenous people, approved by Jeffrey Amherst in his July 1763 correspondence with Henry Bouquet.
http://www.nativeweb.org/pages/legal/amherst/lord_jeff.html
The blankets, the patterns within them, their presence among trophy cases, where they show up, and the constant appearance of black and white photos show a static visual conflict between the oppressors and their victims.
In this image · No.11
Culture as Decoration
Ullman: “Oh this old place has had an illustrious past.”
The Native American pattern on the carpet, the stained glass designs, the Red Couch, and the Black and White Photos reflect No.91.