Archives

Ashton Ramsey

09.28.12 - 10.21.12
Exhibition — les Abattoirs, Musée – Frac Occitanie Toulouse

Ashton Ramsey
Garments with texts, 1970s to the present
Courtesy of the artist
Photo : Nicolas Brasseur, Le Printemps de Septembre 2012

Ashton Ramsey
Garments with texts, 1970s to the present
Courtesy of the artist
Photo : Nicolas Brasseur, Le Printemps de Septembre 2012

Ashton Ramsey
Garments with texts, 1970s to the present
Courtesy of the artist
Photo : Nicolas Brasseur, Le Printemps de Septembre 2012

Ashton Ramsey
Garments with texts, 1970s to the present
Courtesy of the artist
Photo : Nicolas Brasseur, Le Printemps de Septembre 2012

Ashton Ramsey
Garments with texts, 1970s to the present
Courtesy of the artist
Photo : Nicolas Brasseur, Le Printemps de Septembre 2012

Ashton Ramsey
Garments with texts, 1970s to the present
Courtesy of the artist
Photo : Nicolas Brasseur, Le Printemps de Septembre 2012

Ashton Ramsey
Garments with texts, 1970s to the present
Courtesy of the artist
Photo : Nicolas Brasseur, Le Printemps de Septembre 2012

Born 1930 in New Orleans (United States) where he lives and works.  

 

This octogenarian maverick started his professional artistic career only two years ago. In 2011, when he was celebrating his eightieth birthday, his creations were presented at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art at the University of New Orleans, surrounded by sketches, photographs and other documents from the artist’s archives, bearing witness to his activity as an amateur local historian.


The roots of this maverick historian’s artistic vocation are to be found in his childhood. As a little boy he used to help his family sew costumes for the Mardi Gras parade that he marched in every year. These brightly coloured outfits with feathers and embroidery, in the style of Indian finery, were at the back of Ramsey’s mind when he made his own compositions, which he often wears. But to these he adds texts (press cuttings, excerpts from the Bible, tracts, etc.), small objects and other inexpensive materials that can easily be stuck to the clothing in order to reflect local history, and in the first place the history of African Americans. The titles – and themes – of his costumes are Freedom, Black N White and Gambler. Haïti was created after the earthquake that ravaged the Caribbean island in 2010, in an act of solidarity. The oldest of Ramsey’s historiated clothes date from 1989.