New work by Brandon Dean

My work explores race and the friction of representation through use of the white male as an “exotic” subject, exposing the inherent strangeness of desire and the canonical drive. In various mediums, I work to articulate a vision of identity that exposes the uncomfortable influences at play in the shaping of our perception of the world. – Brandon Dean

The Lost Cause merges art history and contemporary imagery to construct an alternate reality, critiquing representations of race, masculinity and ultimately exploring “history” as a malleable and inherently creative enterprise. The work reimagines symbols and elements of history and imbues them with a new mythology replete with iconography that subverts white male gaze. 

The title, derived from the denialist “Lost Cause of the Confederacy” ideology that pervaded the American South during Reconstruction, alludes to the manipulation of symbols and modes of presentation from the past to serve more contemporary motives. This revisionist history mythologized the pretext for secession and civil war, and sought to distort the reality of the past in service of Jim Crow and white supremacy. 

The work in The Lost Cause reappropriates iconography from the past toward ends wholly different from the intent of their creation, and creates a vision of futures more dazzling, queer, and full of the contradictions of contemporary male identity.

BRANDON DEAN

Brandon Dean (b.1985) is a Cleveland, OH based, multi-disciplinary artist raised in Montgomery, AL. He holds an MFA in Painting from the Tyler School of Art at Temple University, and a BFA in Painting from Auburn University. His exhibition record most recently includes Vox Populi in Philadelphia, PA, Arlington Arts Center in Arlington, VA, Zhou B Art Center in Chicago, IL, and Stamp Gallery in College Park, MD. Southern Exposure, his self-published series of books and zines, is in library collections across the United States.

ADULT CONTENT WARNING: Children under 18 must be accompanied by a parent or guardian to enter this gallery.

OPENING DURING AUGUST ARTWALK

August 12, 2022 @ 6 PM

COVID-19 PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES: 

To protect staff and patrons alike, Alabama Contemporary encourages masks and social distancing in the galleries. For more information on our COVID-19 opening policy go here. We encourage everyone to be safe and socially conscious as we all learn to move forward together.

Generous funding for this exhibition and related programming is provided by: