Having Native American artifacts line the trophy cases, indigenous patterns as rugs, blankets on the walls, and portraits of “the conquered” is a practice steeped in Colonialism, but it’s also thickly American.
When we use culture as decoration we strip the purpose of those items, patterns, and any reverence they have in their creation and real life.
Things weren’t “woke” in 1980’s, but one can’t help but see Kubrick’s point of view in the dialogue of The Colorado Lounge and the portraits of the little Native American children and the feeling of rage within the elevator blood.
In this image · No.5
American History & American Culture
Ullman is dressed in red, white, and blue.
The American flag.
The official pen and star-lined paper.
Cultural appropriation as decoration: the copious amounts of American imagery and the Native American pattern curtains.
Ullman’s curtains have a Native American pattern on them. Contrasting with how much America signifiers there are (the red, white, and blue, the eagle, the flag), it continues the visual conflict of culture as decoration.