Dream Artworks
DreamsID: Pandemic Dreams
In March 2020 the UK was put into full lockdown and a global lockdown also took place. Many people were locked away inside their homes experiencing the effects of quarantine procedures put in place by governments around the world. My collaborator, Mark Blagrove and I began to notice that this was having an impact on people’s dreams. We carried out a series of online DreamsID events from April to July 2020. We worked with NHS and Keyworkers and advertised for dreamers via social media. In total I produced a series of 9 paintings, currently on show at Oriel Science in Swansea.
Dream of being given a present of an activity pack, which includes a ‘funeral preparation kit’ (2020)
Nurse’s dream of warning people at a party, being ignored by them, and then being suffocated by a cat (2020)
Doctor’s dream of working in office peeling quails’ eggs for Covid-19 treatment (2020)
Delivery driver’s dream of not being able to drive a brown car up an incline, while a couple in a white car look on with disgust (2020)
Dream of looking out of a blue and green abalone, a paua shell, and seeing the ocean and a friendly, brown, playful seal pup (2020)
Doctor’s dream of finding new family home next to a beach, but crowds then arrive (2020)
Dream of a robin scratching and pecking away Covid-19 from around the lungs (2020)
Dream of being at parents’ house during Lockdown and seeing metallic gold monkey (2020)
Lockdown dream of walking alone, avoiding natural danger, then waltzing with friends (2020)
DreamsID
DreamsID started in 2016 when I suggested joining Mark Blagrove who had been asked to undertake public discussions of dreams for the British Science Festival. I suggested I could paint these discussions onto pages from Freud’s (1900) Interpretation of dreams. Each discussion was 20-minutes and we handed out the drawings at the end to participants. This event was extremely well received and we decided to repeat this format, but each time with longer sessions, to allow time for me to develop more considered paintings of the dream. DreamsID sessions are now 60-90 minutes long, and are held online as well as in venues, each with a live audience.
Flying Dream (2018) UCLA
Dream of Learning to Talk to Dolphins (2018) Netherlands
Dream of Briefly Seeing Mother Again (2017)