Lately, he has been trying out his new prism film technique, and it’s quite a spectacle. Viewers are faced with multiple visual plains produced by the same image: the back of a woman’s head, replete with colorful braids snaking around a rectangular quilt made from vinyl. He modestly explains: “The vinyl braids piece is my first quilt
with these materials. I work with Rainbow Symphony in L.A. to get my prism film. When film arrives, it is thin and potentially brittle, so it needs the vinyl if it is going to be moving around and rolled up several times etc. The prism film is applied to a clear vinyl which is then sewn together with other colors of vinyl. The clear-prism sections will produce rainbows and prismatic color, while the colored vinyl projects a stained-glass-like image onto the wall or floor. Therefore, this piece has two light effects.” In a dark room hit with projected light, its various patches of color come to life as a kaleidoscopic festival for the eyes.
To execute such feats, a clean, organized and spacious environment is key. He likes working on one project at a time, and considering those are usually large in scale, he’ll dedicate his entire studio space to just that. Quilting requires numerous trips from the cutting table to the machine, therefore pathways must be unhindered, and work surfaces smooth and accessible.
I WANT TO DEDICATE MY LIFE TO THIS PRACTICE, LEAVING BEHIND SOMETHING HUMBLE BUT ALSO SUBSTANTIAL, IF ONLY TO MY PEOPLE.”
Moving forward, Dion is keen to continue collaborating with horses as part of his outdoor performance art. “For me, horses are wonderful and generous creatures; I can learn a lot from them. My nephew has autism, and I quickly realized that I would have to change the way I communicate to be effective and supportive. Working with horses does that for me; teaches me to relax and be attentive to small cues.”
Waving around a quilt, as if a flag, upon the backs of these beautiful creatures is uplifting. It links him to his nationhood, minus the power structures of violence, race, and gender typically conveyed in historical works. Having migrated much of his work to the great outdoors has further connected him to the land and culture that holds so much meaning to him. “I want to dedicate my life to this practice, leaving behind something humble, but also substantial, if only to my people,” says the unbridled artist. *
This article appears in Hi-Fructose Issue 74. Get the full issue in print here!
