Still Life No. 3: Raven Chacon

A singular work comprised of sound installation, timed light, and text. Installed in the Museum’s Jacobson Gallery, the exhibition will open July 5th, 2019 and run through November 3rd, 2019.

Still Life No. 3 retells the Diné Bahaneʼ, the Navajo story of creation and emergence into the current world. The piece is comprised of sound, speakers, text and timed colored light which scrolls through several hues over a 24-hour cycle – relating to colors referenced in the Diné origin story. By doing this, the artist creates ambiguity in the gallery space and narrative of the Diné emergence story. The voice of a Diné woman is amplified through speakers that are set on a delay causing parts of the story to overlap, creating a non-linear situation to the narrative while illuminating past, present, and future all in one singular moment. The exhibition will allow for an immersive and metaphysical space within the confines of the gallery to create room for pensive reflection, sense of place, and situationality.

Raven Chacon (Diné), a renowned composer, performer, and installation artist, was born in Fort Defiance on the Navajo Nation and raised in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Chacon is currently based between Albuquerque and Toronto, Ontario. As a solo artist, collaborator, or as a former member of Postcommodity, Chacon has exhibited or performed at Whitney Biennial, documenta 14, REDCAT, Musée d’art Contemporain de Montréal, San Francisco Electronic Music Festival, Chaco Canyon, Ende Tymes Festival, 18th Biennale of Sydney and The Kennedy Center. Chacon has received several awards including the United States Artists fellowship in music, The Creative Capital award in Visual Arts, The Native Arts and Cultures Foundation artist fellowship and the American Academy’s Berlin Prize for Music Composition.
Raven Chacon, Still Life, #3, 2015 (detail). Sound and light installation with text. Voice and translation by Melvatha Chee. Collection of the artist. Image courtesy of John Kuczala

Credit: Exhibition overview from museum website