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THE CRENSHAW DAIRY MART PRESENTS ‘FIFTEEN HOURS,’ A NEW WORK BY FOREMOST.

‘FIFTEEN HOURS’ IS A DIGITAL VIDEO THAT FEATURES TWO (2) BLACK BEINGS, ARTIST DIONNA NDLOVU AND FOREMOST, AS THEY EXPLORE BLACK LIBERATION THROUGH IMAGINATIVE PLAY IN VARIOUS OUTDOOR RURAL SPACES AND PRIVATE PROPERTY AROUND HUMBOLDT COUNTY CALIFORNIA. THE PLAY OCCURS FOR THREE (3) DAYS TOTALING FIFTEEN HOURS. THEY APPROACH PLAY WITHOUT RULES, NOR SOCIAL CONSTRUCTS, WHICH ALLOWS THEM TO RELY SOLELY ON PHYSICAL COMMUNICATION FROM THE MATERIALITY OF THE “PLAYGROUND” AND THE JOY OF EACH OTHER’S MOVEMENTS. SUCH “PLAYGROUNDS” ARE THE SETTING FOR DREAM SPACES FOR BLACK PEOPLE AND OTHER MARGINALIZED IDENTITIES, PLACES WHERE THEY CAN FEEL SAFE TO PLAY, MOVE, EXPRESS, AND EXIST. HOW CAN WE PLAY WITH EVERYDAY SPACES TO LESSEN THEIR CONTRADICTION WITH OUR WILDEST DREAMS? IN THIS DREAM-LIKE VISION, CREATIVE PLAY BECOMES A REAL-LIFE PHYSICAL AND MENTAL MANIFESTATION OF FREEDOM, AND “PLAYGROUNDS” ARE UP FOR PERPETUAL CHANGE.

FOREMOST IS AN ARTIST, EDUCATOR, AND SOCIAL JUSTICE ACTIVIST BASED IN LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA. HE HOLDS A BACHELOR’S DEGREE IN ART HISTORY, A MASTER’S DEGREE IN EDUCATION, ALONG WITH A MULTI-SUBJECT TEACHING CREDENTIAL AND IS CURRENTLY PURSUING AN M.F.A AT CALARTS. HIS ARTFORMS INCLUDE VIDEO, DRAWINGS, AND COLLAGE. HIS ART USES EVERYDAY MATERIALS AND SPACES TO THINK ABOUT THEIR USES, HOW THOSE USES ARE FLUID, AND HOW THAT DRIVES HIS IMAGINATION TO SPECULATE AND APPROPRIATE NEW “PLAYGROUNDS” AS WELL AS RECLAIM “PLAYGROUNDS” FOR THE BLACK BEING. HE IS ENGAGED IN A PLAY PRACTICE AIMED AT DISRUPTING AND SUBVERTING THE NORMAL STATE OF AFFAIRS AND SYSTEMS OF OPPRESSION. SIMULTANEOUSLY, HE STAYS WITHIN A DREAM SPACE, A REAL SPACE FOR EVOKING EPHEMERAL LAUGHTER, PLEASURE, AND ENJOYMENT BUT PERMANENTLY REVEALING SOCIO-POLITICAL CONVENTIONS AND BIASES.