In mid-March of 2020, Subliminal Projects was preparing to open LET THEM EAT CAKE, by New York-based photographer and filmmaker Cheryl Dunn. As the COVID-19 Pandemic came to a head, we postponed the exhibition in hopes of a swift resolution. In the subsequent months, we collectively endured unfathomable loss, hideous injustices, and expanded divisiveness. The 2020 election is in a matter of days, and there is no better timing than now to showcase works that echo the state of our country. Subliminal Projects is pleased to present LET THEM EAT CAKE, a two-day public video installation and four-week online exhibition by Cheryl Dunn.

For 30 years Cheryl Dunn has documented protests and captured citizens exercising their constitutional rights. LET THEM EAT CAKE provides an arching photo and video survey of the American political climate and the Americana landscape as it withstands the story of a divided country, not from the perspective of politicians and their agenda, but from the people in the streets.

“A camera can be a shield and or a window. It Can be a weapon. A weapon of communication. When I began to conceive of this show I thought about what I could say cumulatively about all the protests I have documented over the years. I also thought about the beauty of this country, what it means to fight, and why we do it. I wanted to juxtapose these two concepts. Then the country exploded and everything changed. What I set out to present with LET THEM EAT CAKE, had new meaning now, or no meaning at all. To make a broad claim of the state of a country is arrogant. One can only present what they see and the way they see it. Like many cities all over the county this summer, my hometown of NYC became like a caldron. I tried to be on the streets as much as I could, to be witness to the constant change. Broken windows boarded by morning, graffiti buffed out in a day or two, burnt cars towed away. My aim was to capture the tension of people in relation to the evidence and the messaging before it was cleared. Words have the power to move mountains and topple towers. Pictures and video can change the course of justice. Here are my images of an American caldron.”- Cheryl Dunn

LET THEM EAT CAKE will be on view November 1 at 10 am PDT through subliminalprojects.com. From Nov. 1st (1 pm to 9 pm PDT) through Nov. 2nd (1 pm to 7 pm PDT) Subliminal Projects will host an outdoor video installation on view for the public in the parking lot located behind the gallery on Vin Scully Boulevard in Echo Park. The public installation showcases exhibition works and never-before-seen footage by Cheryl Dunn. We invite the viewer to experience the magnitude of these works on a large scale as a source of inspiration and as a moment of reflection as we execute our voting plans and brace for a historic election. We ask that all visitors be respectful of social distancing guidelines and wear a mask or face covering. 

We look forward to inviting the public back to our space to continue our mission to serve as a center for the community to openly express and spark dialogue about art, music, and activism. 

To advance this dialogue to action, 25% of the purchase price of art sales from LET THEM EAT CAKE will be donated to the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) to support their mission to realizing the promise of the Constitution and expanding the reach of its rights to all. 

ABOUT CHERYL DUNN

Cheryl Dunn is a documentary filmmaker and photographer who lives and works in New York City. She has spent a large part of her career documenting city streets and the people who strive to leave their mark there, from graffiti writers, artists, skaters, boxers, bikers, and protestors. Her award-winning feature documentary “Everybody Street” features some of the most accomplished NYC street photographers of the last century. Her work has been exhibited in various galleries and museums including, Deitch Projects, The Tate Modern, and the Geffen Contemporary MOCA. She has three published photography books – Bicycle Gangs of New York, Some Kinda Vocation, and Festivals are Good. Out this year will be her latest documentary feature, “Moments like this Never Last,” about the late artist Dash Snow and the NYC downtown art scene post 9/11.

For more information on Cheryl Dunn, visit cheryldunn.net or follow her on Instagram @cheryldunn.

ABOUT THE ACLU

The ACLU’s mission remains realizing the promise of the Constitution and expanding the reach of its rights to all. Beyond one person, party, or side — the ACLU dares to create a more perfect union.

From November 1st to December 5th, 2020, 25% of the purchase price of art sales from this exhibition will be donated to ACLU.

For more information and to get involved please visit aclu.org, follow them on Twitter @aclu, on Facebook @aclu, or on Instagram @aclu_nationwide.