Artist Bio

Joel Dream is a visionary, new media artist who utilizes multiple forms of multimedia, robotics and sculpture to extend human expression and transform both himself and those who experience his works. In 2009, he received an interdisciplinary degree in “Experimental Media Arts and Technology” from UNCA with concentrations in sculpture, multimedia and mechatronic engineering. Dream's art has been featured at at galleries, festivals and theaters in the Southeast. His artworks often utilize mechatronics in their design and have been presented at multiple academic conferences. He has been a guest lecturer at UNCA to present on the emerging creative movement of technology and art. A technical article on his piece, “Body of Mist and Light,” has been published in two academic journals. This article outlines the artistic and engineering feats he achieved for the piece which was to create a motion tracking environment that allows a performer to intuitively express and “embody” explosions of mist, light and color. These explosions follow the performer's hand movements around the stage and react to gestures as an expressive extension of the body.

Dream's earlier career focused on still works including photography and digital photographic mindscapes. These were featured at multiple galleries and shops in North Carolina and received distinguished awards at juried shows. While contemplating his newest creations Dream realized that he needed to express more than this medium could allow. In 2004, he began to seriously pursue video artistry. A year later, in 2005, he moved to Asheville, NC, where he began presenting and honing this art as a VJ for live music, dance performances, festivals, etc. He became a regular contributor to all night dance and art communities and inevitably followed his visions to push the boundaries of his projection art. He began creating interactive and experiential projection environments and sculpture. These environments evolved in free and unique directions from their original discipline of video; they utilized everything from wind tunnels, live moths, wireless night vision cameras, and spinning shards of mirror. This experimentation also culminated into defining and award winning works of live performance art presented at theaters in Asheville, NC, and at a juried multimedia show where Dream received “Best in Show.”

During this time Dream was studying mechatronic engineering at UNCA with the intention to harness the expressive potential of sensors, motors, and programmablity to further extend his imagination for what is possible with art. He now culminates these technical mediums into multidisciplinary visions. These manifest as kinetic, interactive, and deeply moving artworks that have engaged audiences at festivals, fundraisers and conventions.