Dreams of Fire and Starshine

May 30, 2018 - August 10, 2018

Featured Artist:  Delano Dunn

Dreams of Fire and Starshine was a solo exhibition by then PES Artist in Residence Delano Dunn. 

Delano Dunn’s Dreams of Fire and Starshine was a journey through past, present, personal, and potential futures in an intersectional feminist world. It was a contemplation on “real power” versus imaginary power and the internal reconciliation processes that we as a society go through in dealing with those perceptions of power. The overall aesthetic of the exhibition was harkening back to a particular chronological perception of ‘the future’: Dunn pulled bright neon colors, neon lights, iridescent geometries and a Hollywood vibe that is specific to the 1980s.

The complete body of work, which was created during Dunn’s year-long residency at Project for Empty Space, was presented in three distinct and nuanced phases. Understanding the intricate narratives of each section was an integral element to understanding the holistic overture of the exhibition.

Part One: Jane Crow

Jane Crow was the first phase of Dreams of Fire and Starshine. It was a section that acknowledged not only an understanding of women’s rights today; but also, explored the history of how this foundation was built through the lens of the judicial system. Jane Crow laws were the female equivalent of Jim Crow laws: they restricted (and arguably in many ways still restrict) the movements and basic rights of American women, particularly American Women of Color. The pieces in this phase of the exhibition highlighted the ways in which these laws were combatted by actors such as Ruth Bader Ginsburg, the ACLU, and Women’s Rights Project, and more.

Learn more about each court case HERE.

Part Two: Everlasting Twilight

The second section was the most introspective and vulnerable examination of the artist’s own understanding of male identity. Dunn explained his self-analysis as a ‘realization of my shortcomings,’ and his belief in ‘an imaginary power I possess to change the world for my daughter so that she would not face the inequalities that are imposed upon women.” The raw vulnerability of Everlasting Twilight was not only a reflection of the artist’s own personal perspective; but could also be seen as an example of the type of male introspection, insecurity, and emotional fragility that exists, but was often hidden by the expectations of American society.

Part Three: Where Neon Bends

The final component of Dreams of Fire and Starshine was what Dunn referred to as an ‘all in’ exploration of what the world could have been if women from the future arrive in a constructed version of 1980’s Los Angeles, CA. In this fantastical future narrative, which was inspired by the Jackson Five video for Can You Feel It and the classic film Tron, imagined this group of women giving the world the gift of gender equality. The consequence of their arrival was  the utter divestment of male dominance, and a reshuffling of power that ultimately led to a new hierarchy where a select group of women were dominant. The glimpse into this potential future that was presented to the audience was a hodge-podge dystopian cult shrine to the matriarchy. Through this complex narrative, Dunn forced the audience to grapple with the misconstruction of feminism: Feminism is not about female dominance or gender hierarchies. It is about true equitable space for all genders, Male, Female, Trans, Non-Binary.

This residency was made possible in part by a generous grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.