ArtsNB Grant Application : Project Information
“DUNE: Visions of the Outsiders and Others”
The announcement of the latest movie by D. Villeneuve (2021), the vast saga of DUNE established by F. Herbert—and continued by his son Brian Herbert and co-author K.J. Anderson—invited a new generation to experience a complex saga that fans of the sci-fi genre had been celebrating since its first publication in the mid-1960s. While each interpretation has its flaws, the vast majority have remained true to the source material—in spirit, if not in certain details. In all this abundance, I have found a lack of representation (in images) of those races, factions, characters, and places that are considered “Outsiders and Others” within the source text.
In my annual re-reading of many of the novels, I often make the choice to interpret the text as if I was, in fact, one of these “outsiders”. It’s a fairly easy task for me as my daily life—as a person with disabilities—often places me outside what is considered “normal” in society at large. Over time, I have asked myself:
How would the Bene Gesserit Sisterhood navigate a given situation with their gifts for misdirection, use of myth-making, and vast store of “other memories”?
Given that Guild Navigators are so removed from baseline humans, what do they see with their (mind’s) eye?
Is the “Language of God” practised and revered by the Tleilaxu really nothing more than genetic science? Can behaviour really be determined by genes?
How did the first generations of Fremen Fedaykin react to seeing water-rich worlds for the first time? Imagine the overwhelming shock of experiencing an ocean of water when one has only seen oceans of sand before.
Given that Mentats (human computers) are society’s replacement for “thinking machines” (any non-mechanical computer), does their training fully erase the influence of emotions? How do they maintain a moral compass?
What did Duncan Idaho witness over his extraordinarily long life? Did his experiences grant him “sight outside of Time”?
“DUNE: Visions of the Outsiders and Others” is a collection of my answers to these questions (and more). The completed suite will include a large format, high quality, 12-month calendar, and prints of selected images (from the calendar) in a limited variety of sizes—with an initial print-run of 100 calendars and a reduced number of prints. At least eight (8) of the twelve (12) monthly images will expand on traditional landscape techniques to enable the viewer to see through the eyes of Outsiders and Others. The remaining balance will highlight select Others through portraiture. Some of the sample images (included) will appear as is, while others serve as inspiration for final pieces.
I hope to provide a visual allegory of the close interweaving between the perception and experience of Otherness that persists in civilizations from Ancient to Enlightened.