Chip Thomas: “American Rent Is Due” in the Arizona Painted Desert

Dr. Chip Thomas and his “Painted Desert” project invites you to see the new face of Whiting Motel in Gray Mountain, Arizona. Once a haven for the weary travelers on their way to the Grand Canyon or Las Vegas, the property is an abandoned eyesore along this highway that is heavily used by motorists from across the Navajo Nation.

VyalOne, Breeze 1, Douglas Miles, Jerrel Singer, LivA’ndrea Knoki. American Rent Is Due. The Painted Desert Project. (photo © Jetsonorama)

15 years after the motel building was deserted here to languish without a thought for its appearance or effect on the community or the environment, Chip invited Thomas “Breeze” Marcus to organize a crew of artists with native lineage to transform the exterior into a somehow mystical mirage in the desert.

Using portraits of strong natives, graduating colorways, and calligraffiteed writings, the community reclaims the visual landscape, transforming it with aerosol painting. A reference to the taking of native lands by Europeans and the machinations of the motel itself, the team emblazoned the backside with a message, “American Rent is Due.”

Forty miles north of Flagstaff, Arizona, Chip tells us that the motel was built originally in the 1950s and he shares this postcard from the 1980s that displays the business in its humble heyday. Now with a new façade by this small group of artists who painted just before the weather turned chilly at the end of November, this fresh coat may inspire passersby this winter.

The crew included:
Vyalone – Zuni, Raramuri, Chicano
Breeze – Tohono O’odham / Adimel O’odham / Ponca / Otoe
Douglas Miles – Apache
Jerrel Singer – Diné
LivA’ndrea Knoki – Diné

Douglas Miles. American Rent Is Due. The Painted Desert Project. (photo © Jetsonorama)
Douglas Miles. American Rent Is Due. With LivA’ndrea Knoki standing in fron of her portrait. The Painted Desert Project. (photo © Jetsonorama)
American Rent Is Due. LivA’ndrea Knoki. The Painted Desert Project. (photo © Jetsonorama)
Vaylon. Mural Detail. American Rent Is Due. Detail. The Painted Desert Project. (photo © Jetsonorama)
Breeze1. Mural Detail. American Rent Is Due. Detail. The Painted Desert Project. (photo © Jetsonorama)
VyalOne, Breeze 1, Douglas Miles, Jerrel Singer, LivA’ndrea Knoki. American Rent Is Due. The Painted Desert Project. (photo © Jetsonorama)
American Rent Is Due. Detail. The Painted Desert Project. (photo © Jetsonorama)
LivA’ndrea Knoki. American Rent Is Due. The Painted Desert Project. (photo © Jetsonorama)
Breeze 1 and VyalOne at The Little Colorado River Gorge Overlook. (photo © Jetsonorama)
LivA’ndrea Knoki, VyalOne, Breeze 1, Douglas Miles, Jerrel Singer Chip Thomas t The Little Colorado River Gorge Overlook. (photo © LivA’ndrea Knoki)
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