Bowdoin College Museum of Art | - The Anthropophagic Effect, Garment no.3

Preview image of work. mixed media with cotton, brass grommets, nylon thread, artificial sinew, dried pear gourds, glass and plastic beads, nylon ribbon on canvas, The Anthropophagic Effect, Garment no.3 44077

2021.63

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The Anthropophagic Effect, Garment no.3

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Artist

Jeffrey Gibson (Colorado, 3/31/72 – )

Title

The Anthropophagic Effect, Garment no.3

Creation Date

2019

Century

21st century

Dimensions

58 x 72 in. (147.32 x 182.88 cm)

Object Type

textile/natural fiber

Medium and Support

mixed media with cotton, brass grommets, nylon thread, artificial sinew, dried pear gourds, glass and plastic beads, nylon ribbon on canvas

Credit Line

Museum Purchase, Lloyd O. and Marjorie Strong Coulter Fund

Copyright

This artwork may be under copyright. For further information, please consult the Museum’s Copyright Terms and Conditions.

Accession Number

2021.63

Jeffrey Gibson’s oversized tunic references the Ghost Dance, a Native American ceremony in which participants don special garments that protect the wearer from violence enacted by white settler-colonists. Here, Gibson reclaims the ghost shirt to make a poignant statement about Indigenous identity. He embellishes the cuffs, collar, and torso with mass-produced and widely available plastic beads and dried p ear gourds. The sleeves have been screen-printed with an image from the 2016 Standing Rock protests, situating the work within a long history of violent confrontation between tribal communities and the United States government. Within this context, Dionne Warwick’s lyrics “Don’t Make Me Over” take on a profound significance in asserting Indigenous sovereignty. For Gibson, working with textiles has allowed him to articulate a visual language that encapsulates his experiences, drawing from “powwow regalia, different movements in clothing worn by various subcultures, and fashion.”