Opening Reception for The Luxury of Dreams at the Dunes, Friday Oct. 4th

“The Luxury of Dreams
Mixed media glass work by Sean Hennessey

Opening Reception: Friday October 4th 7-10 PM
The Dunes
1402 Meridian Place NW
2nd Floor

A portion of sales will go toward Thrive DC.

Sean Hennessey’s “The Luxury of Dreams” was born out of a personal experience with a neighborhood homeless man who, with help, was able to turn his life around.

From the crisis of homelessness in our city came a desire to create an exhibition based on blankets, beds, and shelter. From that point, Sean wrote: “I then wondered if the level of security of having a place to sleep affected how we dream. I was thinking about how we all enter the world of dreams, regardless of where we sleep. I thought that I would create a series of works based on the dreams of others. Through conversations … about art and social issues, my idea for The Luxury of Dreams series was born. I started soliciting dreams from friends, colleagues, collectors, other artists, and social media connections.”

Fine artist turned dream catcher Sean Hennessey is a mixed and multi-media artist based in Washington, DC. Working in glass, concrete, steel, light and video, Sean creates imaginative wall relief works deriving narrative content from philosophical, mythological, historical and personal experiences.

“As I was dealing with an uncomfortable issue in the inspiration of this series, and a new way of developing content within my work, I wanted to take a new approach to the creation of the work itself. I decided that I would utilize photography and drawings into glass. After receiving many dreams from friends and strangers I began conceptualizing how I would approach the pieces. At first I thought I would layer photos and drawings with castings of glass Beds and Blankets. I may still create a series in that direction, but I decided for this first series on dreams that I would pick imagery from the dreams that I felt most connected and relate it to my way of storytelling. Atypical of how I approach a series, each piece will feel different and have different shapes and sizes. I usually like for my series to read like a book, often with each piece the same size and scale; another new way of making work for me.”

A portion of proceeds from sales will go toward helping to support THRIVE DC.

Thrive DC: Originally founded in 1979 as the Dinner Program for Homeless Women, Thrive DC works to prevent and end homelessness by providing vulnerable individuals a comprehensive range of services to help stabilize their lives. We are unique in providing the last available safety net for people facing economic crisis and housing instability while also providing the first step toward independence for people experiencing extended periods of homelessness.”