revel and revelation
An Archive of Invented Festivals, Desert Mythologies, and Theatrical Truths
In Revel and Revelation, Terry Hastings stages mythic gatherings across the imagined landscape of Palm Springs—where poolside rituals, masked ceremonies, and architectural nudity become acts of unveiling. These are not mere celebrations; they are revelations of identity, memory, and communal desire.
Each piece is a visual rite, drawn from live collaborators, handcrafted masks, and desert light. From volcanic drum circles to the Palm Springs (naked) Art Festival, these works blur satire and sanctity, exposing the architecture of joy and the intimacy of spectacle.
The process begins with photography—real people, real gestures, often caught mid-revel or mid-ritual. Figures are digitally cut out, recolored, and reduced to bold silhouettes. It’s part homage to Matisse’s late cut-outs, part theatrical casting. The influence of Fauvism runs deep—not just the wild color of 1905, but the radical clarity of Matisse’s final years. Saturated hues and flattened space aren’t decorative—they’re dramaturgical.
These aren’t pictures. They’re performances. Each image is a ceremony. Each silhouette is a role. Each backdrop is a set. The mask reveals more than it hides. And sometimes, the only way to tell the truth is to make it up first.
Come for the revel. Stay for the revelation.
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Go deeper into the art at Conversation: Revel and Revelation
