Marie Watt b. 1967
Sky Dances Light: Solo XII, 2023
Piece can be combined with a second work to form a larger Diptych seen in various options in the following installation images
Vintage Tin jingles, cotton twill tape, polyester mesh, steel hanging system
Vintage Tin jingles, cotton twill tape, polyester mesh, steel hanging system
72 x 40 x 40 in.
182.9 x 101.6 x 101.6 cm. 49 lbs
182.9 x 101.6 x 101.6 cm. 49 lbs
8867
This sculpture by Marie Watt is composed of jingle cones, rolled pieces of tin historically fashioned from the circular lids of tobacco containers. Watt’s jingle sculptures bring together several important...
This sculpture by Marie Watt is composed of jingle cones, rolled pieces of tin historically fashioned from the circular lids of tobacco containers. Watt’s jingle sculptures bring together several important elements of her artistic language, including materials related to Indigenous history and gestures intended to spark healing. Though their invention and use as fashion adornments dates at least to the late 1800s, tin jingles became an iconic element of Indigenous dance traditions during the Spanish Flu pandemic of 1918. “One version of the story is that a member of the Ojibwa nation had a sick granddaughter,” recalls Watt. “They had this dream in which they were instructed to attach tin jingles to a dress and have women dance around this sick child while wearing the dress. The idea was that the sound would be healing. It’s assumed the medicine worked, because the dance was shared with other communities.” Displayed in such a way that they can be free to float within their environment and be interacted with by viewers, the jingle clouds are meant to activate an immersive landscape and soundscape. Inviting people to explore and expand the boundaries of mutual relationships is an essential part of Watt’s aesthetic vocabulary. As a citizen of the Seneca Nation and a woman with German-Scots ancestry, her perspective has been shaped by values of connectivity and sharing. Connecting to the present through the legacies of our ancestors, Watt’s jingle sculptures remind us of the bonds we share with each other and across generations, and the healing that can flow from connection, music, and community.
Provenance
2023 Artist Studio, Portland, OR2023 Exhibition, Kavi Gupta | Chicago (Catalogue)
2024 Solo Exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, San Dego
(Catalogue)
Exhibitions
Marie Watt: Sky Dances Light, 10 June - 30 September 2023Kavi Gupta | Chicago, 835 W Washington Blvd. Fl 1., Chicago, IL 60607
Marie Watt, solo exhibition, Museum of Contemporary Art, San Diego, late spring 2024
(Catalogue)
Publications
2023 Marie Watt: Sky Dances Light, Exhibition Cataloguepublished by Editions | Kavi Gupta
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