The Opulence Project (May 2018-present) invites Skywatchers ensemble members and Tenderloin residents to dream up the most opulent, lavish, heroic versions of themselves and to manifest that vision in a setting of their imagination. These larger-than-life portraits assert the need for new civic monuments to make visible radically new kinds of heroes offering us as-yet-untold stories about ourselves, who we are, what we value, and what we seek to become.
The Opulence Project has produced a pantheon of Tenderloin spirits, deities, and characters with abilities and attributes that bridge mythology and the contemporary needs witnessed in participants' communities. From the God of Self-Education to the Goddess of Tell-It-Like-It-Is, from Robinhood-like Vigilante, to the Goddess of Empathy, these are deities and superheroes for the present. These performative portraits take shape through a multi-step process that begins with a conversation and series of interviews before the photo shoot. At every stage, participants are engaged in the design of the image, making decisions about their wardrobe, props, and setting of the photograph, and articulating the story of their divine avatars. The resulting images are made in collaboration with Skywatchers Lead Artist, Deirdre Visser, and photographer, Nano Visser.
The video below is a document of our processional down Market Street celebrating the launch of the Skywatchers’ Opulence Portraits on SFMTA bus kiosks from Civic Center to the Embarcadero.
As a participant of the Skywatchers’ Opulence Portrait project I was invited to envision an image of my highest self and have this opulent portrayal of my self reflection mounted on bus stop kiosks up and down Market Street.
“Joel,” I hear as I’m headed up some stairs with one of my Opulent peers, Shavonne Allen, to brainstorm about and eventually write these words. “Man, I just saw a life size picture of you on a bus terminal. Awesome!”
It is a recent reoccurrence throughout the neighborhood. Many convey their amazement at seeing my picture on a bus stop while others express their appreciation of the choice of costume, the fabrics of revelation. I am not one for exuberant expression, yet I am glad I could inspire that and receive it from others. Like the saying goes, “The more I am me, the more others can be themselves!"
What would I say I received from being involved in this project? What was the impact? Simply put I’m still here. This project is one more reason for continued sobriety. It lightens my mood when folks say they have noticed. It increases accountability for stepping fully into new growth and continuing to surpass my present. God has blessed me with life to be golden, to be opulent.
Skywatchers’ Opulence Project Invites Tenderloin Community Members to Embody Their Boldest Visions
