Lorenzo Clayton collaborated with Jacob Burckhardt to create a new video for this exhibition, starting with a literal interpretation of the word Muhheakantuck by looking at the river’s dynamic tides and currents. The screen is split horizontally, displaying the river moving in different directions. Words stream across the screen overlaying the loose concept of a narrative. Metaphorically, the tidal flow of water alludes to the ongoing history of the river, suggesting that the contact between Henry Hudson’s Dutch expedition and the Lenape people was a pivotal point in time in the continuum of this force of nature. Projected over the bold ornamental frame above the fireplace, the video’s position juxtaposes the powerful elements of fire and water, offering another layer to the relationship of the river with our attempts to manage it through force and culture.
Lorenzo Clayton grew up in Cannoncito located on the Navajo reservation in New Mexico and has lived in the New York area since 1973. He works in a range of mediums including printmaking and installation. His work was included in The Importance of Invisibility, the Clemente Soto Velez Cultural and Education Center, New York, NY; and two sections of Native Voices at the Kentler International Drawing Space, and Long Island University Gallery in Brooklyn, NY. Clayton has exhibited in museums throughout the country including the Heard Museum, Phoenix, AZ; the National Museum of the American Indian, New York, NY; the North Dakota Museum of Art, Grand Forks, ND; the Jersey City Museum, Jersey City, NJ; and the Brodsky Center for Innovative Editions, New Brunswick, NJ. He earned his BFA at The Cooper Union School of Art, New York, NY. He teaches printmaking at The Cooper Union School of Art and Parsons The New School for Design, New York, NY.
Jacob Burckhardt is a filmmaker and sound engineer. His most recent short film is Roma, a black and white short that presents the modern city from a pedestrian's point of view, illuminating the ancient stones, water, graffiti, lights, cats and even the Pope. His feature-length film It Don’t Pay to Be an Honest Citizen includes William Burroughs, Allen Ginsberg and Vincent D’Onofrio. He frequently designs environmental sound tracks for other artists’ dance and performance works. He teaches digital sound at The Cooper Union School of Art.
More information can be found at http://amerinda.org/naar/clayton/multimedia/multimedia.htm |
