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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 2023.8.7
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.
Light blue ink on a vertical, deckled-edge monoprint features five lines of text stacked centrally against a textured blue field. Blocky capital letters stating DO NOT DANCE FOR PAY exhibit frayed, stenciled edges that reveal a hand-painted quality. Dense, grainy variations in blue pigment saturate the paper's surface, providing a rich backdrop for the rough letterforms. Two strips of white tape secure the top edge of the vibrant rectangular composition.

Was Told 12 Times

2022

Edgar Heap of Birds

(Cheyenne and Arapaho Nations, b. 1954)
America

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