Ashton Ramsey

Over the past twenty years, Ashton Ramsey’s (b. 1934) handmade suits have gradually become as integral a part of carnival tradition in downtown New Orleans as the Mardi Gras Indians. A veritable one-man tradition of wearable folk art, Ramsey sees himself primarily as a folk historian, the one upon whose shoulders it falls to produce a large collaged ‘poster biography’ whenever a notable musician or community figure has passed away. But with his whimsical paper hats, funny eyeglasses, and gaily-decorated bicycle, Ramsey — two of whose grandsons are members of the renowned Stooges Brass Band — is also the type of artist whose primary motivation often seems to be to do things that make children laugh.

Ramsey’s tie to New Orleans’ second line culture stretches back to the late 1940s, when he used to assist his older brother Walter in sewing the elaborately beaded surfaces of his Mardi Gras Indian suit. Eschewing the time and expense needed to excel as an Indian, Ramsey turned instead to gluing ornaments, decorations and texts onto men’s suits — a practice that became more pronounced by the mid-1970s, once he joined the Original Dirty Bozen Kazoo Band as their cowbell player. The group, which later morphed into the Dirty Dozen Brass Band, cemented Ramsey’s role in New Orleans street culture.

Over the years he has presented his work regularly at JazzFest, and his suits are in the collection of the Backstreet Cultural Museum, but Ramsey’s inclusion in Prospect.2 at the Ogden Museum of Southern Art marks the artist’s first time exhibiting his work within a contemporary art context. Alongside five suits, ranging from the somber Haiti to the festive Melody, Ramsey’s biennial participation also includes a few dozen examples of his collages. Ranging from an elaborate homage to the pianist Eddie Bo to collaged inspirational quotes from artists and other figures — “Art is Not What You See but What You Make Others See” (Edgar Degas) — the combined effect is to lend a marked degree of institutional permanence to a creative vision which is inextricably linked to the fleeting joy that goes along with recognizing a special occasion.