Cleveland Dean. Creative. Visual Artist. Mentor. Thinker. Chicago.

Apotheosis (from Ancient Greek ἀποθέωσις (apothéōsis), from ἀποθεόω/ἀποθεῶ (apotheóō/apotheô) 'to deify'), also called divinization or deification (from Latin deificatio 'making divine'), is the glorification of a subject to divine levels and, commonly, the treatment of a human being, any other living thing, or an abstract idea in the likeness of a deity.

A body of work that exists to elicit investigation, symbolism and enlightenment. Color is not utilized for color sake. Materials are not utilized as gimmick. Techniques are used with historical, metaphysical, symbolic and mythological reasons. Nothing is wasted.

These works are created specifically on a canvas made of wood. Wood conveys age, history and wisdom. This wood it manipulated using the Japanese shou sugi ban technique. A techniques, used in architecture for elemental preservation which now takes the form of being a symbol. This use of fire explores the histories associated with fire. Love, lust, passion, desire, warm, destruction, preparation. In a mythological context corresponding to the apotheosis ideal it is likened to the rising of the phoenix. A transformation. An ascension.

Materials used have their own storied histories. metal, gold, wire, salt, concrete, plaster, glass, mirror, flowers, resin. Each of these materials have meanings in different cultures as well as folklores. Combined, these create a language. A language to be spoken to and by the viewer. All these materials are used to convey a sense of becoming. Transcending to that which is more than what an individual is at present.

This is the main, most storied, most well known, exclusive and most collected body of Cleveland Dean’s work to date.

In 2010 I was doing research to creat a tech startup. In such I went down a rabbit hole and did an extensive study of selfies as wells internet culture. At this time I simultaneously began work on an exhibition delving into the psychological aspects of such.

In 2013 the word “selfie” officially became a word. 1,000,000+ selfies are taken everyday and uploaded to socials. Be it to share an experience, show progressions or publicly pretend to be someone that they are not such behavior has become normal. In #theselfproject I wanted to delve deeper. I wanted to propose introspective thought into this behavior for those that became the participant in this cultures original and most simplistic form. loojking in a mirror. Inspired by Teddy Pendagrass’ “You can’t hide from yourself” as well as an earlier work of mine I constructed these mirrors. Each with its own phrase etched from the materials to become fused with the viewers physical. Once looked upon, they share an identity. They are one.

Invited the viewer to take a selfie and upload it to social media via the hashtag #theselfproject. in doing such I wanted to build a family of people that, no matter gender or orientation, age or sex, race or religion, could see that we all go through the same things, have similar thoughts and fears as well as joys. Being as such, why are we allowing the puppeteers to separated us and cause such divisions.

I am humbled by the personal testimonies that over 9,000 people showed their vulnerabilities in their posts and selfies. To date, over 700,000 people have visited #theselfproject since its first public showing in 2010 and its first collection debut in 2018.

Inspiration comes from various places. Her dress hit the floor after being tossed in a nearby chair. As I went to pick it up, I saw how the fabric gathered. Lines and cascades of material. It looked...familiar. like wet drapery, the technique used in ancient Greek sculpture. As I locked this vision in, i thought of the differences. The differences in mine and her backgrounds. This difference, coupled with the fabric, made me think of cloth. More so, the colloquialism we are all cut from a different cloth. With this contemplation, it made me reflect on my upbringing. Each and every block I have lived on which made me the person I am today. The life[style] I live and what I continue to strive to achieve.

In this series I named each piece after a street I lived on that molded me as a person. There is only one street I lived on twice. 2 blocks away from each other, 20 years apart. Ironically, once starting a relationship and the second ending a separate relationship. Both transformative. Better afterwards, a question. More enlightened afterwards, definitely. Everything is some form of a milestone. See it as such and recognize your growth...or degradation.

Different messages have different mediums