Thomas
Huw
Evans

California Dreaming

'33 California State Prisons' 2017

The series 'California Dreaming' are satellite images taken utilising the software, Google Earth, Its focus is that of the 33 Californian State prisons.

In 1848, the Californian Gold Rush, created an enormous and dramatic social and demographic change to the area. The effects of this brought about a mass migration of American citizens to the west coast, ushering an economic boom for the state. From this, 'California Dream' was coined, a phrase that would later go onto to inspire the notion of the 'American Dream'.

The series becomes an antonym of the 'California Dream' and 'American Dream' showcasing that the idea of trying to realise the dream, however doesn't always occur. It points towards notions of the failing system, and disintegrating ideals overshadowed by widening social classes and potentially corrupt government bodies.

The series explores the use of Sous-viellance, to invert power play between that of the public and authoritarian bodies as a comment on the breakdown of these ideals. These prisons become sites of this disintegration.