Guardian - New Orleans - 2008

Shoe People - New Orleans - 2008

Ashton T. Ramsey - New Orleans - 2008

Additional Notes on Black Carnival and other traditions:

Carnival is a season of parades and celebrations of the flesh which can be traced to Europe. Carnival begins on the Twelfth Night of Christmas, January 6th, and  ends at midnight on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday and the beginning of Lent.
 
New Orleans was founded by the French and they call the last day of Carnival Mardi Gras which means "Fat Tuesday". Since the following day marks the beginning of six weeks of fasting and other privations, Mardi Gras Day is filled with a final frenzy  of celebrations. 

In New Orleans there are two parallel Carnival traditions. The first are the well known and highly publicized celebrations with both sanctioned mainstream Mardi Gras "Krewes" and the satirical Krewes that skewer the foibles of powers-that-be and social elites. This is the 'Mardi Gras' that draws large crowds and vast numbers of tourists.

This well known side of Mardi Gras began among the social elites of the city and for most of its history generally excluded participation by 'people of color' with the exception of the 'Flambeaux'', originally 'favored' slaves, who were permitted to carry torches to light the night time spectacles and those that follow behind the parades sweeping the piles of beads, trinkets and trash off the streets. One of the results of this type of exclusion are the folk traditions of the Carnaval Noir or Black Carnival which took root and finds expression in the African American community of the city. 

There are several other traditions which originate in the African Amercan community which are unique to New Orleans and which have by extension become part of the Black Carnival. These include Brass Bands, Second Lines, Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs and the Black Indians of New Orleans. 

Since the I-10 was built in 1969 all of these groups have been endangered to some extent. The interstate was built directly over Claiborne Avenue, the epicenter of the African American community. It destroyed the main area of social gatherings when the shade of the live oaks which filled the "neutral ground" (median) of the avenue were replaced by rows of concrete columns supporting a canopy of concrete interstate. Businesses were lost, as was part of the spirit of the community. Still, the community struggled on and held on to their traditions as best they could.
 
Since Katrina in August of 2005 these traditions have become even more endangered. Many community members were or still remain scattered across the U.S. and many will not be returning. Various socio-economic and political forces are at work which are at odds with the survival of these traditions. 

The short version of the history of New Orleans Brass Bands claims they originated after Union Soldiers left New Orleans in 1877 when Reconstruction ended. The troops left many band instruments behind which were then put to use by musically inclined citizens. The combination of existing African American musical traditions with these band instruments resulted in the birth of the New Orleans style brass bands and ultimately the birth of Jazz music. The brass band tradition continues to this day. One of the more famous of them is The Treme Brass Band.
 
The term Second Line has multiple meanings. The meaning which is important in this context refers to the groups of people who parade, dance and celebrate while following a brass band. In general, anyone is welcome to join in a Second Line. Second Lines occur in a number of contexts which include such things as funerals, parades of Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs and during Carnival celebrations. 

Social Aid and Pleasure Clubs arose across the city in various poor neighborhoods to create a social bond between community members. In these neighborhoods it was often impossible to purchase any kind of insurance. The clubs collect membership dues and donations to provide the members a type of insurance fund. Typically the club funds provide for the costs of funerals and burials of members and often contribute something to the surviving family.

Racial segregation has always played a role in New Orleans. The French Quarter is bounded on the west by North Rampart Street. Social Aid and Pleasure club parades, brass bands and second lines historically occur on the west side of Rampart as do gatherings of Black Indians and many larger social gatherings of the African American community. 

Finally, and briefly a note about the Black Indians. They are often called Mardi Gras Indians because they are most visible during Mardi Gras. Much can and has been said of the Indians and there are many in depth written materials on the Black Indians of New Orleans. 

Currently there are about thirty Indian tribes or gangs. It is commonly thought they first began their Mardi Gras traditions in the 1880's. There are at least two exceptions. The first tribe, The Creole Wild West claims to have documentation of the tradition in the 1750's. The North Side Skull and Bones Gang claim 1819 as the year of their origin. They are not strictly an Indian group but they do share a similar organizational structure: Big Chiefs, Spy Boys, Flag Boys, Wild Men, etc.  

In any case, the Indians originated as neighborhood street gangs and until the late 1960's were often involved in actual turf wars. The late Big Chief 'Tootie' Montana worked successfully to turn the tribe's encounters into a contest of aesthetic 'warfare' rather than actual wars. Each year members must make a new costume by hand. The costumes are very colorful and include brilliant displays of feathers and intricate hand sewn panels of beadwork that usually illustrates a story.
 
Many members of the tribes are involved in maintaining the Indian traditions and more importantly are involved in various aspects of community building. Indians (and the Bone Men) come from many walks and stations of life. Among them are found educators, school principals, administrators, historians, skilled laborers, business leaders, musicians, film makers, artists and so on. They contribute a great deal of their spare time mentoring youth and promoting literacy, musicianship and other types of programs aimed at improving their neighborhoods and communities.
 
Over a long period of time I will remain involved with these individuals and cultural groups by offering my photography skills in service to them in my own effort to document, advocate for and help maintain their survival.
 

Acknowledgements for SIGNS OF LIFE: 

This project and exhibit would not be possible without the help and encouragement of a large number of individuals and I would like to thank them all for their kind and generous contributions. First, thanks to my parents and grandparents for indulging my passion for photography. Many thanks to my partner, Marnie Olson. Her support through the years has made all of this possible. She is directly responsible for keeping me connected to my photography, making certain that I follow through on opportunities and the production of my work. 

In New Orleans: Andy Levin photographer and organizer of Mardi Gras 360; my friends and mentors in New Orleans: Ronald W. Lewis, community historian, activist and, director of the House of Dance and Feathers cultural museum. In addition Ronald is the Gate Keeper of The North Side Skull and Bones Gang. Our friendship and his invitation to photograph the "Bones" Mardi Gras morning led directly to this exhibit and to many of my friendships and contacts in the African American cultural community of New Orleans. Bruce "Sunpie" Barnes, Park Ranger, museum and spiritual guide, historian, musician, scientist, renaissance man, acting Big Chief of The North Side Skull and Bones Gang. Royce Osborn, filmmaker (All on a Mardi Gras Day and Walking to New Orleans) another Skull and Bones man. Shantrelle Lewis director of the McKenna Museum of African American Art and curator Judy Boudreaux. Mark Sindler and Owen Murphy of the New Orleans Photo Alliance, Don Marshall of the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival Foundation, Sylvester Francis of the Back Street Museum, Tyrone Casby, Sr., Big Chief of the Mohawk Hunters, Benny Jones, Sr., "Uncle" Lionel Batiste, the Treme Brass Band and Craig Morse. Many people and venues in New Orleans continue to contribute to my photographic goals, I'm sorry I can't list them all. 

In Louisville:  O.J. Connell for his encouragement. He has been a great friend, advisor and resource. Paul Paletti for his advice and continuing interest in my photographic work. Andrew Dailinger for his advice and guidance. At the University of Louisville: Special thanks to John Begley and Bruce Linn at the Cressman Center for Visual Arts Gallery, and, everyone at The Photographic Archives at the University of Louisville. Also, in Louisville, a long overdue and sincere thanks to Dorothy Cherry and the late Wendell Cherry for their generous support and belief in my potential. They made it possible for me to pursue many of my goals and develop as a human being and photographer. I will always be indebted to them. 

Thanks also to my teachers, mentors and spiritual guides: Henry Holmes Smith, Helmut Hoffmann, Pir Vilayat Inayat Khan, the Tibetan Rinpoches Taktser Lama (Thubten Jigme Norbu), Chogey Lama, Pema Norbu, and Bhaka Tulku among many others. Finally, special thanks to my friends, artist comrades, collaborators, and collectors who have consistently encouraged me over the course of four decades: Terry Wunderlich, Catherine McCliment, Randy Canaday, Bill Renschler, Scott Presti, Andy Mahler, Ray Conner, Leslie Barany, Jacques Baruch and many others.