The Ye'kuana

Ye'kuana ceremonial dance
14 x 11 inches, stancil and pencils on paper, 2020

Number four here from the top 100 2020 series that I now should nickname as the COVID-19 series. The song illustrated is called Edanaka hani amöde but is the very same as the Yucca Fertility Chant in last year's 100. The difference is made by the collection it is featured on. Whereas last year's came from a compilation record of South American indigenous music, this one comes from a record dedicated specifically to the Yekuana of Venezuela [Music of the Venezuelan Yekuanan Indians] and was like the Anthology released on Folkways (1974). I painted a Ye'kuana Indian in August on 2019 and discussed the song briefly (as brief as the liner notes) accompanied by a longer political rant. Read about the song and rant right here. 

I used three different stencils in making this work on paper. It situates itself between a print and a unique work. There is no edition or anything but I would be able to reproduce this drawing to a great degree of similarity while it still would be a unique work. I'm tempted now to compile the new series using a similar technique. It would allow me to, if I stick with it, to reproduce the whole series. I would be able to offer a complete set of 100 unique works for a relatively low prize.