We were lucky to catch up with Steve Yazzie recently and have shared our conversation below.
Steve, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. We’d love to hear about a project that you’ve worked on that’s meant a lot to you.
I’m currently working on a community film called, “Knowing You, Denver”. It’s a data-driven, community-designed film project exploring Denver’s diverse cultural landscape. I’m working on this project while in a residency at the Denver Art Museum here in Denver Colorado. This project is particularly important to me because it’s giving me an opportunity to connect with the community in ways that allow for real connection and conversations, not only about the everyday activities of our life, but we are also exploring important issues that the city is experiencing.
The first phase of the project involves data collection and ongoing conversations with museum visitors and community members. Prompts and questions are currently active in the museum space, inviting the visitors to participate in giving feedback, insights, and responses. During the early phase of the project, I will begin categorizing this feedback from the community and start building the framework for the film. Many of the questions are designed to direct me on the sensory, like sounds of Denver, or color tone/look and feel. I’m also learning about the best to experience Denver, which again will guide me on the times of day I may be filming. Many questions in the gallery are designed to challenge the visitor to think more about critical issues Denver is facing, or perhaps a meaningful experience one might remember.
The Second Phase are the focus groups. I’ve held four focus groups of a small cross section of community members to participate in a conversational experience about the issues, questions, and areas of importance realized in Phase One of the project. The goal of these focus group sessions is to gather stories and experiences from various local perspectives. These contributions will help shape and inform the narrative of the film, allowing for a deeper discussion about issues that are important to us all.
Focus groups will be documented in audio form and transcribed with permission from the participants. The transcriptions will then be archived, rearranged, and used to construct a new story arc and script for the future film. It’s during this phase I reaching out to potential community collaborators to play starring roles in the film.
Steve, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?
My name is Steven Jon Yazzie. I’m Navajo, Laguna Pueblo, and of European descent. I’m a multidisciplinary artist, filmmaker, and collaborator. My work focuses on a range of themes from identity to our relationship with land and community. I began painting in the studio almost 25 years ago, and my work has evolved over time from a traditional painting practice to conceptual installation work, and now I tend to work more with the community. I also co-founded Digital Preserve LLC, a digital film production project which prioritizes video and film production work with indigenous communities, non-profit organizations, museums, cultural & educational institutions, marketing firms, and creative agencies, with the overarching goal of leveraging Indigenous issues and voices to the forefront of public discourse.
There are many things I’m proud of in terms of my art and career, but my children and family bring me the most joy and they always remind me of a deeper meaning in this world.
For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?
The most rewarding thing about being an artist today is realizing the value and potential of art’s role in society. Artists today are recontextualizing the way we see and understand our world every day. Being an artist is definitely challenging at times and it’s not for everyone, but I believe artists can play a role in asking big questions in our work and reminding us of our humanity. And in then the best-case scenario, we hope to inspire change in the most positive ways.
: Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?
One of the goals that drive my creative journey is to always stay connected to the community and build those relationships that foster positive change. What I’ve learned about working with others in any capacity is that with an invested conversation comes respect and new awareness. We don’t always have to see the world in the same way, but we have to share this world together. It’s also important to highlight the experience of indigenous people because our stories, history, and knowledge is such an essential part of the American story.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.yazziestudio.com
- Instagram: yazziestudio
Image Credits
Photohgraphy provided by the artist