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Was Told 12 Times

2022

Edgar Heap of Birds

(Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations, b. 1954)
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Culture
America
Medium
color monoprint
Measurements
Sheet: 55.9 x 38.1 cm (22 x 15 in.)
Credit Line
Severance and Greta Millikin Trust 2023.8.3
Copyright
Copyright
This artwork is known to be under copyright.
Location
Not on view
Print
?

Did You Know?

Edgar Heap of Birds has described the number of prints in this and his other series as being multiples of four in order to honor the Cheyenne ceremonial number.

Description

Edgar Heap of Birds is widely recognized as one of the most influential Native American artists working today. Part of the New York art scene of the 1970s, he relocated to tribal land in Oklahoma in 1981 and has worked there since. This series reflects the artist’s interest in using language to reconsider the place of Native identity within contemporary America. Each print features a phrase that reflects the contradiction of dancing—an act that is integral to tribal ritual but also used to symbolize Indigenous people in popular culture.
A vertically oriented monoprint features bright lime green ink staggered in five horizontal rows against a textured black field. Hand-brushed in rough, blocky capitals, the words "DO NOT DANCE FOR PAY" fill the composition with irregular edges and visible strokes. Small green speckles drift across the charcoal surface. The paper's ragged, uneven margins frame the bold, stacked text, creating a raw, gestural effect.

Was Told 12 Times

2022

Edgar Heap of Birds

(Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations, b. 1954)
America

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