Chip Thomas and the Painted Desert Project
Chip Thomas is an American photographer, public artist, activist, and physician living in Arizona. In 1987, he moved to the Navajo Nation, between Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon, to work as a physician. Simultaneously, he began photographing the Navajo people (Diné) and maintained a darkroom to develop his work. Soon after his arrival in Arizona, Thomas carried out a billboard “correction” on the Navajo Nation, replacing the word “Pepsi” with “Diabetes” in the phrase “Welcome to Pepsi Country,” in an effort to call out the effects of American capitalism on the landscape and the people of his new community.
Since 2009, Thomas has worked under the pseudonym jetsonorama, combining photography and traditions of street art, placing work on billboards and abandoned structures in the region as a way to celebrate the rich cultural history of the Navajo people. The exhibition includes examples of Thomas’ original, documentary-style photographs and their application as elements in public art, installation, film, and graphic media.
In 2012, Thomas developed the Painted Desert Project, a residency program in which he has invited street artists from around the world to explore and execute work in the desert landscape. More than 25 artists have participated over the past decade, enlivening the region’s public spaces with various distinct styles. A special sub-section of the exhibition includes work by a sampling of the Painted Desert artists.
Painted Desert Participants: 2501, Gaia, Icy and Sot, Kill Joy, ROA, Chris Stain, Stinkfish
Collaborator: Ken Ogawa
Chip Thomas and the Painted Desert Project (PDF)
Sight ≠ Vision at Ollie’s Trolley
A newly commissioned mural by Chip Thomas Sight ≠ Vision is also on view as part of the 2024 FotoFocus Biennial: backstories exhibition Chip Thomas and the Painted Desert Project. Located at the locally beloved restaurant Ollie’s Trolley, the portrait mural pays tribute to Cincinnati-based artist and muralist William Rankins, Jr. Rankins, who lost his eyesight in recent years, had already witnessed the destruction of most of his work due to redevelopment and other environmental causes. Chip Thomas has been creating large-scale murals since 2009, mainly across the Navajo Nation, between Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon, while he was working on the reservation as a physician. His works are often of people, bringing communities to life and showcasing human experiences to wider audiences beyond gallery walls.
Press Release: FotoFocus Unveils Public Mural by Chip Thomas as part of the 2024 Biennial (PDF)
Chip Thomas, Lehigh on the Tire Swing, 2013. Courtesy of the artist
Chip Thomas, Rayshaun at Cow Springs 1, 2013. Courtesy of the artist
Chip Thomas, Step During the Day, 2017. Courtesy of the artist
Venue Details
Contemporary Arts Center
44 E Sixth St
Cincinnati, OH 45202
(513) 345-8400
Thur & Fri 10am–7pm, Sat & Sun 10am–4pm
Free for Pass Holders, venue members, children 18 and under, and SNAP/EBT recipients. General admission: $12
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