Dreams 1894

Editor: Here we have Aubrey Beardsley’s ink drawing, “Dreams,” from 1894. There's something very theatrical and unsettling about it. The stark black and white, the figures… it's like a scene from a dark fairy tale. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beardsley was very interested in the performativity of identity, especially concerning gender and sexuality. This drawing pulses with a transgressive energy that challenged the restrictive social norms of Victorian England. Notice how he uses line to create androgynous figures, blurring boundaries. Editor: Yes, the figure on the left, especially. I wasn’t sure if that was supposed to be male or female. What's with all the grotesque imagery—the bats, the strange baby, the monsters? Curator: These symbols, which feel both familiar and defamiliarized, represent suppressed desires and fears that lurk beneath the surface of so-called 'civilized' society. Think about the societal pressure during that time and what’s deemed appropriate, or normal, regarding behavior, specifically those of a sexual nature. He's revealing, perhaps critiquing, the ugliness that results from such repression. How does the presence of erotic themes, evident in some of Beardsley's other works, challenge contemporary standards? Editor: It's like he's giving visual form to the forbidden. But I wonder, was he actually trying to promote these "forbidden" desires, or simply expose them? Curator: That’s a critical question. His work is often read as both celebratory and critical, leaving space for viewers to engage in an uncomfortable yet necessary dialogue. It is less about endorsement and more about disruption and destabilization. It opens a space for conversations on the unspoken rules dictating gender, sexuality, and identity, paving the way for future dialogues on representation and agency. Editor: This really challenges me to look at art not just for its aesthetic value, but for its social and political commentary. Curator: Absolutely. Beardsley used beauty and the grotesque to spark critical engagement. It allows us to question the values of the society.