Nguyen Vu: WARP: Response to PAMM visit: Ornament and Empire

The visit to the PAMM to see the "Ornament and Empire" exhibit was especially interesting for me because I've never thought about how ornamentation can correlate with status and power. I was in awe and amazed at how Hew Locke utilized a perishable and everyday material such as cardboard to create such a magnificent structure. The chaotic piece is comprised of incredibly elaborate patterns abound; with no resting spot for the eye, I was forced to carefully study the piece in detail. Upon learning that Locke's intent was to address symbols of British royalty, colonial histories, and narratives related to global migrations, I began to appreciate the piece more knowing that the object and material that Locke chose was intentional.
Seeing Firelei Baez's work again remind me of my first Art Basel experience. I remember admiring Baez's massive, colorful and ornate installation that resembles the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. It was nice to see her work once again in the Perez and have time to stop and read about her pieces. I have learned that she utilizes her art to address the long history of ornamentation and fashion as acts of resistance among African American women during times of French colonialism in New Orleans and the Caribbean. I especially enjoyed staring back at the figure in Baez's "Sans-Souci" piece and learning that the piece is about how free women of color of 18-century Louisiana turned oppression into expression.