Raven Chacon, born Fort Defiance, AZ 1977 Search this
Medium:
lithograph on paper
Dimensions:
sheet and image: 11 in. × 8 1/2 in. (27.9 × 21.6 cm)
Type:
Graphic Arts-Print
Date:
2020
Exhibition Label:
Trained as a composer, Chacon (Diné) often starts from musically notated scores to create conceptually rich artworks across creative categories. Since scores are inherently fluid, even when they take fixed form in a video or print, the works based on them retain the possibility for further interpretation, collaboration, and reanimation in new contexts.
In his print portfolio series For Zitkála-Šá, Chacon recognizes Zitkála-Šá (Yankton-Dakota, 1876--1938), an Indigenous and women's rights advocate and the first Native composer to use Western musical notation. The series of score-portraits celebrates contemporary Native woman musicians in his circle. Each striking graphic is accompanied by performance instructions, inviting all to imagine how they might activate this legacy.
Musical Thinking: New Video Art and Sonic Strategies, 2023