On the 14th of September we had the first exhibition of the 2023/2024 season, selected in open call with the collaboration of Carlos Basualdo, Aimé Iglesias Lukin and Maria Bonta de la Pezuela, brings together a collection of photograms in which Dunn explores the patterns, textures and innate celestial properties of earthly matter.

Claire Dunn’s practice begins by grounding her body in her specific location: focusing with heightened awareness on its unique climate, soil, plants, atmospheric pressure, minerals, and people.

The resulting constellation of sensations, conditions, and materials brings new insight to her work. Human beings throughout time have been impacted by the land they occupy—weather conditions have even influenced the beginnings of major religions. Through sensory research, Dunn studies this timeless relationship between body and world.

Her abstract images combine her analog macro-photographic documentations of patterns found in the California landscape; imprints of her own hair, saliva, and fingerprints; and impressions left behind by broken mirror fragments. Dunn carves unique abstract drawings into each photogram with a variety of tools including Exacto knives, nails, and sandpaper.

Throughout history, it's been said that we come from the stars. Although Dunn’s images come from nature—the tangible world under our feet—they suggest faraway constellations. After all, is there any difference between cells and galaxies?

                                                                                                             Text by Claire Dunn, edited by Meghan Smith

About Claire Dunn

Claire Dunn is an artist, traveler, psychologist, and curator based in San Francisco. She was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina, where she received her BS in psychology at Universidad del Salvador (USAL). She graduated with her MFA (Fine arts) at California College of the Arts (CCA) in 2023. Her artwork has been exhibited widely in Argentina and in the USA, including Fort Wayne Museum of Art, Berkeley Art Center, Minnesota Street Project and Palo Alto Art Center. Dunn has been an artist-in-residence at La Flecha del Arte in Argentina, the Monson Arts Abbott Watts Residency Award in Maine, USA.