Much like gold itself, the spectacle of Goldendean challenges the arbitrary values we place on the normative body. Our gaze cannot help but devour Goldendean.
In 2016 artist Dean Hutton’s #FUCKWHITEPEOPLE performance went notoriously viral which has extended itself into various forms– an installation, a ‘Fuck White People’ suit, an online archive titled, ‘White People made Visible’. Dean’s message is one of ‘queer love’, ‘queer dissidence’ and ‘radical sharing’ (coined by Thenjiwe Niki Nkosi), promoted by their avatar Goldendean who takes on the role of a clown like figure. ‘PLAN B, A GATHERING OF STRANGERS (OR) THIS IS NOT WORKING’, Dean’s Master’s thesis completed towards their MA in Fine Arts from Michaelis becomes a manual to understanding the serious and complex reasonings of an artist who hopes to heal with their practice.
Credits:
Photography: Jamal Nxedlana
Makeup Art: Orli Meiri