This Innocent Country takes an unsparing look at white privilege, the mythology of American identity, and the need to move past simplistic symbols in order to understand the complexities of our fractured American landscape. The exhibition opens on February 2nd at 6pm with remarks from the artist at 6:15pm.

 

On view from February 3 to March 29, Dean draws on two decades of research, community engagement, and artmaking, principally in the small town of St. Augustine, FL, to present three series that explore the foundational flaws of America’s privileged majority.

 

In "Rended," Dean creates artwork by unraveling and reweaving American flags. "Fundament" incorporates actual fragments excavated from the foundations of Confederate monuments to draw attention to the structures underpinning white supremacy. Large-scale stereo prints explore how intentional barriers to physical mobility create barriers to social mobility. "This Innocent Country" displays three-channel films that simultaneously show the same locations from three vantage points through time, drawing on footage from such diverse sources as the civil rights movement and tourism promotional material.