Welcome to Filthy Dreams
Well hello there! Welcome to Filthy Dreams, a blog that analyzes culture through a queer lens. Rather than jumping right into new content, we thought it best to introduce ourselves and our aesthetics with our Trash Manifesto
Latest Entries
All The Cheating Judases, Doubting Thomases: The Dualities of The New Robert Mapplethorpe Exhibit
Sean Kelly Gallery’s newly opened Robert Mapplethorpe exhibition titled Sinners and Saints offers a hands-on compare and contrast analysis within Mapplethorpe’s oeuvre of how we separate and unite in many seen and unseen modes in essence. Continue reading
Filthy Dreams’ Three Part Series On Mike Kelley’s Dangerous Blue-Collar Trash Aesthetics
In honor of the Mike Kelley: Looking Forward symposium at MoMA PS1, as well as a perfect way to avoid the Santacon hoards on this snowy day, we wanted to make it easier to read the full series of co-founder Emily Colucci’s “Who Was Mike Kelley: A Genealogy Of Dangerous Blue-Collar Trash Aesthetics.” Performing a … Continue reading
Who Was Mike Kelley?: A Genealogy Of Dangerous Blue-Collar Trash Aesthetics (The Finale)
Wheeeeew kweeens…it’s been a Mike Kelley-heavy week here at Filthy Dreams, hasn’t it? Are you ready for one more round? Sure, you are. Who could ever tire of that insightful Detroit-native with a healthy love of filth, trash and kitsch! I know I couldn’t. For those of you just joining in or who chose to … Continue reading
Who Was Mike Kelley?: A Genealogy Of Dangerous Blue-Collar Trash Aesthetics (Part 2)
Well, hello again. Back so soon? I knew you couldn’t wait for my next installment of feverish Mike Kelley adoration. A quick reminder for those of you with short memories or at least blacked-out during the introduction of my previous essay (It’s been known to happen): I am constructing a genealogy of Mike Kelley’s art, … Continue reading
Who Was Mike Kelley?: A Genealogy Of Dangerous Blue-Collar Trash Aesthetics (Part 1)
From his early witty birdhouse sculptures to his use of dirty stuffed animals and bargain bin remnants to his enormous installations such as “Extracurricular Activity Projective Reconstructions #2-32 (Day Is Done)” and “Kandors,” Mike Kelley’s overwhelming and engrossing retrospective currently at MoMA PS1 asserts the importance of Kelley’s transgressive and brave aesthetic. Continue reading
Tennessee Says: In Defense Of Candy Darling and Tennessee Williams’ Drunken Press Conference
Earlier this week, Gawker’s Tom Scocca published an article entitled “On Smarm,” posing the influx of snark on blogs and other “ironic” publications as directly oppositional to egomaniacal, smug smarm. However, we at Filthy Dreams would like to counteract this smarmy claim by choosing to revel in our own chosen method of combating snark, which … Continue reading
Stone Cold or Warm Flesh: Bodies in Galleries These Days
Since artists started to travel at full speed through the paths of experimenting with every genre and material possible, the idea of the body has fallen into a constant shift in its form. Marisol’s carved wood robust humans, Willem de Kooning’s highly abstracted Woman series, and more recently John Currin’s ode to Mannerism era with … Continue reading
Mary Christmas! Presenting Our Completely Unhinged Xmas Playlist
At long last, our favorite time of the year is here ! We here at Filthy Dreams become completely unhinged for the Holidays: whether we’re busy decorating from floor to ceiling with tinsel and string lights or we’re scrutinizing our list of loved ones to determine whether they’ve really been naughty or nice, the Holidays … Continue reading
Filthy Dreams’ 5 Films/Videos To Horrify Your Family This Thanksgiving
Oh! Hello there! You startled me. Why don’t you grab a glass of wine? It pairs perfectly with turkey and stuffing. Oh, don’t give me that look, Mary, I know it’s before noon. It’s Thanksgiving! I started drinking as soon as I woke up and put that big turkey in the oven. Even though we, … Continue reading
Freedom In Vulgarity: Burlesque As Activism In ‘Exposed’
Speaking before DOC NYC’s premiere of Exposed, a documentary capturing the subversive, decadent and downright artistically and politically important New York neo-burlesque scene, no wave director Beth B declared that this wave of contemporary burlesque inspired her more than she has been since the NEA collapsed during the Culture Wars of the 1990s, driving her back to underground filmmaking. Well, Ms. B, we couldn’t agree more! Continue reading