Chip Thomas: The Good Fight
CHIP THOMAS AKA JETSONORAMAABOUTHChip Thomas, aka “jetsonorama”is a photographer, public artist,activist and physician who hasbeen working between MonumentValley and The GrandCanyon on the Navajo nationsince 1987. You can find hislarge scale photographs pastedon the roadside, on the sidesof houses in the northern Arizonadesert, on the graphicsof the Peoples Climate March,Justseeds and 350.org carbonemissions campaign material.TChip Thomas by Ben Moon, 2018.NOTE FROM THE ARTISTThe question I’m asked most frequentlyis how a black doctor in his50s working on the Navajo reservationstarted doing street art on saidreservation. In retrospect, it was onlynatural for this evolution to occur.I started working in a small communitybetween the Grand Canyon andMonument Valley called InscriptionHouse in 1987. I’d always been drawnto photography and built a darkroomshortly after my arrival on the NavajoNation. My passion photographicallyis shooting black and white in adocumentary style inspired by peoplelike Eugene Smith, Eugene Richards,Joseph Koudelka and others. By4
TEXT BY JUSTSEEDS ARTISTS’ COOPERATIVE & CHIP THOMASIPHOMASgoing out and spending time withpeople in their homes and familycamps, I have come to know themas friends. Interestingly, these homevisits enhance my doctor/patientrelationship by helping me be a moreempathetic health care practitioner.I’ve always been drawn to street art,graffiti and old school hip-hop. Iwas attracted to the energy of theculture in the 80s and though Iwas miles away from the epicenter,I thought of myself as a chartermember of the Zulu Nation. I wouldtravel to New York City to seegraffiti on trains, on buildings andin galleries. I did some tagging inthe 80s before coming to the NavajoNation and participated with amajor billboard “correction” on thereservation shortly after my arrival.My early interventions on thestreet were largely text based sayingthings like “Thank you Dr.King. I too am a dreamer” or“Smash Apartheid” and so on.In 2009 I took a 3-month sabbaticalto Brasil which coincided with adifficult period in my life. ThoughI wasn’t looking for an epiphany,I was fortunate to stumble upon apassionate group of artists workingon the street who befriended me. Itwas during this time that I appreciatedhow photography could be astreet art form. Inspired by DiegoRivera and Keith Haring, I’d becomedisinterested in showing my photographsisolated from the people I wasphotographing and wanted to pursuea more immediate relationship withmy community reflecting back tothem some of the beauty they’veshared with me. And in truth, Iwas infatuated with the feeling I gotbeing with the artists in Salvadordo Bahia and wanting to find a wayto keep that vibe going I startedpasting images along the roadside in June 2009.I was blown away by Richards’ work in the late 80sand early 90s for Life Magazine and had an opportunityto spend 5 days picking his brain at Santa FePhotographic Workshops in 1991. It’s this one personwith one camera, frequently with only one lensshooting black + white film in ambient light aestheticthat informs my eye as well as 25 years spent in myhome darkroom pursing the zone system. It’s beenan interesting challenge attempting to bring that lookto black and white prints on regular bond paper comingoff a toner based plotter. I’d like to think thatmy vision is a part of the storytelling, first person,humanist tradition of the people I look up to mixedwith a healthy dose of Diego Rivera + Keith Haring.Regardless, I give thanks that the journey continues.In beauty it is finished.ABOUT@JETSONORAMA5
- Page 1 and 2: CHIP THOMASAKA JETSONORAMATHE GOOD
- Page 3: TABLE OF CONTENTSHIS WORK REFLECTS
- 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 and 16: PUTTING INTERIORS ON EXTERIORSTo tr
- Page 17 and 18: ART CAN BE USED TO FOSTERCOMMUNICAT
- Page 19 and 20: A BOOK OF ACTIVIST ART WAS PUBLISHE
- Page 21 and 22: EFERENCESREFERENCESREFERENCESDietri
CHIP THOMAS AKA JETSONORAMA
ABOUT
HChip Thomas, aka “jetsonorama”
is a photographer, public artist,
activist and physician who has
been working between Monument
Valley and The Grand
Canyon on the Navajo nation
since 1987. You can find his
large scale photographs pasted
on the roadside, on the sides
of houses in the northern Arizona
desert, on the graphics
of the Peoples Climate March,
Justseeds and 350.org carbon
emissions campaign material.
T
Chip Thomas by Ben Moon, 2018.
NOTE FROM THE ARTIST
The question I’m asked most frequently
is how a black doctor in his
50s working on the Navajo reservation
started doing street art on said
reservation. In retrospect, it was only
natural for this evolution to occur.
I started working in a small community
between the Grand Canyon and
Monument Valley called Inscription
House in 1987. I’d always been drawn
to photography and built a darkroom
shortly after my arrival on the Navajo
Nation. My passion photographically
is shooting black and white in a
documentary style inspired by people
like Eugene Smith, Eugene Richards,
Joseph Koudelka and others. By
4
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