Think about the ghosts, of people and cultures, that exist in your community.
Artist’s Note
“Taking language fragments from a wide range of sources, I use printmaking to transform them, in a process at once spiritual and material.
“My installations make use of primary prints and their accompanying 'ghost' prints, created with a second pull from print-making plates. The primary prints are strong, bright, and bold, representing the way Indigenous life develops, grows, and survives the American empire. The faint color, blurred text, and sometimes obscured image treatment of the ghost mono prints represents the United States of America’s refusal to accept Native Indigenous Nations, their history, and the brutal holocaust perpetrated on our Nations by the ruling republic.
“I am sharing two works for the Mixtape – 'Surviving Active Shooter Custer' and 'Survivance.' The first project (above) applies the contemporary phrase 'active shooter' to massacres committed by U.S. troops against Native Americans in the 1800s. The second project (below), 'Survivance,' further explores the destruction and survival of indigenous people. 'Survivance' features four prints: Columbus Day, Why is Immigration Dictated by Foreigners, Our Red Nations Were Always Green, and Water is Your Only Medicine. Learn more here.”
Water is Your Only Medicine, 2020, primary print.
About the Artist
Edgar Heap of Birds, a member of the Academy, is an artist, activist, and teacher.
Commission on the Arts
The Commission - drawing on the expertise of its members who are artists, scholars, activists, and leaders, as well as the input of people across the country who participated in listening sessions - dedicated itself to recognizing and supporting the essential role of the arts and artists in American life.