Dylan Cavin’s ink wash works take a page from the past, combining images of buffalos, Western characters and Indigenous people with one-of-a-kind historical documents. As an enrolled member of the Choctaw Nation, Cavin draws inspiration from his Native roots as well as Oklahoma’s history, exploring “connections between artist and subject, paper and story.”
“Being an artist in Oklahoma, I feel like there’s the rich narrative that comes with that — and being Choctaw,” he said.
Cavin can trace his resourcefulness back to his college days, when an art professor encouraged students to paint on whatever materials were readily available. (Lumber, for example, can be a more affordable option than stretched canvas.) Today Cavin paints on recycled papers, including tattered maps and turn-of-the-century ledger book pages. The old materials not only inspire consideration of context, but also they have a certain quality and texture that Cavin prefers.
“It’s very thirsty paper, so I can put down a lot of water on it and it just, it takes that, and I can work on it again in like an hour,” he said. “I haven’t found a modern watercolor paper quite like that.”
Dylan Cavin’s appreciation for art first began during his childhood, when he eagerly consumed Spaghetti Westerns and Jack Kirby comic books. Some of those images continue to inspire his work today.
His creative process begins by photographing models and family members in various poses; he then references the photographs for his paintings. Historical documents help Cavin select images, resulting in what he describes as “visual narratives where the medium and subjects intertwine to reflect themes of memory, time and personal history.”
“It is much easier for me as an artist to talk about the subject matter having known it, having been there in the moment, rather than pulling from other people’s photography,” said Cavin.
One stunning example is titled “Orphans and Widows,” depicting a young boy on a McCurtain County ledger book detailing expenses for this vulnerable population.
“He’s not an orphan; the subject matter is my son, but, you know, the way he was looking down, the shadowed face — I think that played well into the compensation page for the orphans and widows,” Cavin said.
Whether it’s the weathered pages of a century-old ledger or the face of a beloved family member, Cavin’s storytelling artwork blends the lines between past and present — and his talent is turning heads. In addition to earning accolades in national shows and competitions, Cavin’s art has been acquired for display in Ralph Lauren retail stores and design studios around the world.
