Chip Thomas
Chip 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. There, he coordinates the Painted Desert Project – a community-building project which manifests as a constellation of murals across the Navajo Nation painted by artists from all over the rez + the world. These murals aim to reflect love and appreciation of the rich history shared by the Navajo people back to the Navajo people. As a member of the Justseeds Artists Co-operative, he appreciates the opportunity to be part of a community of like-minded, socially engaged artists. You can find his large-scale photographs wheat-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. Thomas was a 2018 recipient of a Kindle Project gift and in 2020 was one of a handful of artists chosen by the UN to recognize the 75th anniversary of the UN's founding. Artists were chosen to generate work that "contributes to the envisioning and shaping of a more resilient and sustainable future. It is hoped that this work will amplify and accelerate the implementation of the UN Global Sustainability Goals with a focus on communities and climate action."
The Space(s) Between features Chip Thomas’ Owen at the Little Colorado River Gorge Overlook, 2020, Digital print, dimensions variable. Image courtesy the artist. As the artist explains, “free your mind and your ass will follow.” Thomas’ work is dually exhibited with help from the Denver Month of Photography 2021.