Chip Thomas: The Good Fight

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CHIP THOMAS AKA JETSONORAMACan you tell me about your recentinstallation in the ArrowheadVillage and how that started?My interest in the situation starteda few years ago when I heard thatNorthern Arizona University wastrying to buy the property wherethe trailer park is, which is zonedfor low-rent housing. The universitywanted to develop the area to buildmore student housing. I don’t knowthe series of legal maneuvers thathappened to prevent the universityfrom getting that land, but I thinka different person purchased it anddecided he wanted to get it rezoned.The new owner gave the residentsof this community six months tovacate the premises. Apparentlythey were given an extension ofanother two months, and duringthis time an activist group in Flagstaffcalled Repeal Coalition wasworking with residents to attemptto block the sale and rezoning.With those efforts failing, theywent to the city council and askedits members to make money availableto residents to help with theirrelocation. The problem is, manyof the people living in this communityare undocumented anddon’t have the necessary paperworkto receive a large cash payout.As an alternative, Repeal Coalitionhas been hosting fundraisersso they can pay people cash, andthey approached me with the ideaof doing an unveiling as an opportunityto raise awareness aboutthe issue, but also attempt to raisemoney for some of the families.The images you’ve been postingare so moving. Besides beingbeautiful photographs, whatmakes them particularly affectingis the fact that you’re putting theinteriors of these structures - thepeople who live there and theirstories - on the exteriors, so thatthey confront the people whoare trying to evict this tight-knitcommunity. You force viewers toat least acknowledge the humanitythey could otherwise ignore.I think you nailed it. My goal is toconvey a sense of the communityand humanity of the people whowere in this space, and who are frequentlyoverlooked. The entire timeI was installing work, I was sayingto the tenants and to anyone whostopped by that I just wish there wassomething more that we could dosomething more than just show thepeople who are here. I don’t thinkthere’s anything more that can bedone at this point in terms of stoppingthe process; it’s already well underway.But, ultimately, if people aretouched by the stories, then perhapsif a situation like this comes aroundagain, more people will be involvedat the city council level to opposethe dissolution of the community.I would like to see people justappreciate our shared humanityand think about each othera little bit differently.Another thing I wanted to talk toyou about is your widely variedinterests. You’re an artist and aphysician; you cycled from the topto the bottom of the African continentin nine and a half months.I got a Guinness world record forthat trip: the fastest crossing of theAfrican continent lengthwise.Photo: End of the Encuentroby Jetsonorama, 2017.Chip Thomas’ artwork is usedfor Border Encuentro by SOAWatch, a movement workingto: End US economic, militaryand political intervention inLatin America, and ensurethe closure of SOA/WHIN-SEC; end Plan Merida andthe Alliance for Prosperity;ensure demilitarization anddivestment of borders; endthe racist systems of oppressionthat criminalize andkill migrants, refugees andcommunities of color; andensure respect, dignity, justiceand the right to self-determinationof communities.16
ART CAN BE USED TO FOSTERCOMMUNICATION AND GETPEOPLE EXCHANGING IN AWAY THAT STEREOTYPESARE CHALLENGED ANDBROKEN DOWN.17
Page 1 and 2: CHIP THOMASAKA JETSONORAMATHE GOOD
Page 3 and 4: TABLE OF CONTENTSHIS WORK REFLECTS
Page 5 and 6: TEXT BY JUSTSEEDS ARTISTS’ COOPER
Page 7 and 8: I COME FROM A TRADITION OFHUMANISTI
Page 9 and 10: MEDICINE + ARTSeeking to bring awar
Page 11 and 12: IT’S ABOUTWORKING FORSOCIAL JUSTI
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Page 15: PUTTING INTERIORS ON EXTERIORSTo tr
Page 19 and 20: A BOOK OF ACTIVIST ART WAS PUBLISHE
Page 21 and 22: EFERENCESREFERENCESREFERENCESDietri

Chip Thomas: The Good Fight

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