Garibaldi, the Red Shirt, and the Politics of Dress

Garibaldi, the Red Shirt, and the Politics of Dress In 1849, during the short-lived Roman Republic, politics unfolded not only in speeches, decrees, or military strategy, but on the surface of the body itself. In the streets and on the defensive walls of Rome, identity was made visible through clothing, gesture, and presence. At the centre of this moment stood Giuseppe Garibaldi and his volunteer fighters, the Garibaldini, whose distinctive red shirts would become one of the most enduring symbolsRead more

Mitla as Palimpsest: Architecture, Cosmology, and Iconographic Memory in the Oaxaca Valley

San Pablo Villa de Mitla (Mitla for short,) located in the Tlacolula Valley east of Oaxaca City, is for me an intellectually compelling archaeological site, as well as iconographically truly an inspiration. Unlike some pre-Hispanic sites, where meaning is conveyed through sculpture or painted imagery, Mitla communicates through architectural geometry. The beautiful grecas (intricate mosaic fretwork covering the walls of the palaces) are constructed from thousands of precisely cut stone pieces fitted together without mortar, creating repeating step-frets, spirals, andRead more