Debra Scacco’s 25+ year research-based practice examines cartography as an exercise of power. Her work lives at the intersection of ecology, history and policy – in the uncomfortable space where everything is connected.
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Bio
Debra Scacco’s 25+ year research-based practice examines cartography as an exercise of power. Her work lives at the intersection of ecology, history and policy – in the uncomfortable space where everything is connected. She recognizes that violence against water is violence against all living beings and recognizes the Los Angeles River as a manifestation of both colonization and resilience. Her work, in dialogue with the work of many, hopes to help us move closer to recognizing ourselves as one small participant in a vast network of living systems – all equally important – with water at their heart.
Scacco is the first civic-appointed artist-in-residence for the City of Santa Monica, in the Water Division and Resource Recovery & Recycling (RRR) (Waste) Division (2023–25). She is the recipient of a 2023–24 City of Los Angeles Master Artist Fellowship (C.O.L.A.). Her public works have been seen in the Western Mojave Desert, LAX Airport and at Ellis Island. Her work features in collections including LACMA, the Hammer Museum, MOAH and CAA.