Neon, aluminum, steel
34.5 x 300.75 x 9.5 in
Fabricated by Lite Brite Neon Studio, Kingston, NY
Courtesy of the artist and Catharine Clark Gallery
Photo by Kevin McConnell
About
Chords to Other Chords (First Teacher) (2022) is a monumental neon sculpture consisting of the boldly stitched words, TURTLE ISLAND, which artist Marie Watt places in unexpected sites as an act of colonial resistance. Acknowledging the various meanings and origin stories of Turtle Island across Indigenous communities, Watt questions, “What does it mean to say a pair of words when you don’t know their origin?” The neon sign is meant to “catch people off guard and prompt connections that might linger and encourage deeper inquiry and understanding.” As Watt considers names to be a construct, she hopes to amplify Turtle Island and deconstruct the place name “North America” as an “offering and course correction.” Watt explains that, “when you say [Turtle Island], even if you don’t know what it means, it affirms an important story […] If we recognize a place name that precedes colonial names, it can be a step toward acknowledging historical trauma, and a legacy of extraction and displacement.”
Location
This work is on display at the switchback trail, across from the Creekside Studio near Parking Lot 1.
