Through her sculpture, performance, installation and video, Anna Tsouhlarakis is helping to create a new vocabulary within the dialogue of Native American art. She is interested in building conceptual connections between seemingly disparate subjects and combining them to become the tool for deciphering and interpreting her own familial narratives. The artist writes, “While the surface of such pieces may seem disconnected from indigenous aesthetics, the foundation of the work remains rooted in Native beliefs and philosophies. (Excerpt and images below selected from grant proposal. All works are copyright of the artist.)
Harpo Foundation is pleased to provide Ms. Tsouhlarakis with a direct artist grant to assist her production and development of new work.
“Travois”, 1999. Wood, cloth, duct tape, backpack harness, bungee cords, license plate. 6’ x 6’ x 1’. (3 stills of performance) 
“Let’s Dance!”, 2004. Digital video. 15 minutes. (4 video stills) Over the course of 30 days, the artist danced 30 dances with people from diverse backgrounds. The dances included the Hora, Indian Two-Step, Harlem Shake, to an Irish jig from County Limerick. 
“Crossing”, 2009. 2-channel Digital video. 3 minutes. (Video still) Crossing was commissioned for an exhibition commemorating the quadricentennial of Henry Hudson’s arrival to the Hudson valley. By using multiple screens and voices in the video, along with footage from the Thames and Hudson rivers, ideas of exploration collapse the past into the present while the artist inserts herself into a picture that unites these places. 
“Intervals of Pretense”, 2011. 36-channel Digital video. 3 minutes. (Video still) Hands seem to be working on various Native crafts. Beginning in the top left and moving to the lower right, channels fade in and out. This video was conceived as an illustration of Navajo theories of time. 
“In Other Words: A Native Primer”, 2013. Vinyl signage, found wood, screws and wire. Dimensions variable. (Detail) 
“Legend I”, 2007. Inkjet print. 19” x 27”