Future Essense

Danielle Dean
14 June 2010 to 28 June 2010

In Future Essence, 2009 (originally a commission for the Window Gallery at Central Saint Martins College of Art and Design, London), Dean proposes a possible re-branding of pure, natural coconut oil – a basic foodstuff and traditional afro-beauty product:

Future Essence Pure Coconut Oil has landed from outer space, from a far-off planet: an extraordinary substance of the future. With its remarkable nutrient-rich, soothing properties the possible uses of this versatile product range from beauty and hair care, to healing and general wellbeing.

The face of Future Essence Pure Coconut Oil is the alluring model Donyale Luna, notably the first black American to appear on the cover of British Vogue who starred in films by Andy Warhol (including Donyale Luna, 1967, in which she appeared as Snow White). Luna was known to dismiss the idea of racial difference and once said that she was from Mars.

Why not sample Future Essence Pure Coconut Oil and star in your own science fiction where the future is yours..?!

By borrowing from ‘futuristic’ science fiction the artist attempts to explore contemporary ideas of race, social difference and the mass media. This investigation continues in Artist Run Space on a Newly Discovered Planet, which began as a project with auto-italia south east for No Soul For Sale, a festival of independent arts organisations at Tate Modern in May this year.

A book of annotated illustrations guides the reader through the fictional setting of an artist run space on an imaginary ‘water planet’, that provides a place for artists visiting from Earth to make and exhibit their work. This marks the beginning of a larger project where other artists will be invited to propose hypothetical artwork, exhibitions or projects for this fictitious place.

Danielle Dean was born in Alabama in 1982. She lives and works in London and Los Angeles.