Découvrez. Écoutez. Créez.
Découvrez. Écoutez. Créez.
Discover. Listen. Create.
Découvrez. Écoutez. Créez. (Discover. Listen. Create.) is an ongoing series of paintings on Magic: The Gathering playing cards featuring Louisiana Créole and Cadien (Cajun) musicians with an interactive collaborative component. The act of painting over “common” cards found in this American pop-culture fantasy game with images of Louisiana icons symbolizes the reversal of Americanization, which began in the late 19th and early 20ths centuries, and the reclamation of language and culture in this region of the country. Furthermore, just as popular fantastical lore has, folklore from Louisiana and our music culture have become legendary. The painted images signify that status, removing any notions of what is considered “common.” In this project, I use audio components which allow the viewer to listen to each musician’s music. The viewer, now participant and collaborator, is then urged to use acrylic markers to visually respond to the music they are listening, dancing, and/or singing to. This creates a physical graffiti-like manifestation of response history created in collaboration by every single participant - a melting pot of thoughts, interests, ideas, and personalities through a (re)discovering experience.
