Artist Poem:
A Pause Request
This is a call to my free spirit.
Transform me.
Transform me into a being vulnerable enough to accept
the whispered comfort of the
dance of hanging flowers.
Let them lead me into a sway,
a gentle embrace.
Let them pull me into a curve
full of fragrance progressing in present time.
Let them catch my weary heart.
Oh, free spirit, guide me to listen to this vessel.
To make my run a walk,
to make my walk a pause.
Let me replenish my body with clear waters
reflecting the depths of colors in blended simplicity.
Let me honor the space between a breath,
accept the silence between thoughts
and bask in the radiance of grounded stillness.
Oh, free spirit, let me feel truly free.
Artist Bio:
Sullivan is an artist with a wide range of interests, exploring how art serves as a tool for healing and transformation. They express their creativity in various forms and identities, notably as Ashly McBunch, who held the title of Olympia’s Poet Laureate from June 2021 to June 2023. Sullivan has also engaged audiences since 2019 as a Drag and Burlesque performer under the names Luna DeLyte and Ra DeLyte. As a retired Army veteran, they have invested years into writing as a valued creative outlet, enjoying collaboration, performance, and the intuitive guidance that supports their artistic expression. This journey fosters healing, personal growth, and introspection.
You can explore more of Sullivan’s work, currently exhibited through October 5th at Lantern Records in downtown Olympia. They also co-produce a bi-monthly drag and variety show called Free Range Drag, where the guiding principle is “All Drag is Valid.” Upcoming performances are scheduled for October 11th and December 13th, 2024, also in downtown Olympia.
Artist Statement:
Within Sullivan’s work, they use abstract and surrealist forms to communicate the feelings that escape words. They explore the moments where reality blurs with dreams and delve into the universal themes—grief, identity, solitude, transformation and healing—while offering a sense of ambiguity and openness. Their paintings are an ode to the emotional landscapes that we navigate within ourselves. Through poetic abstraction Sullivan’s work is an aim to blend the written word into a visual poem.
The creation of the painting, A Pause Request, holds the same name as a poem written by Sullivan during the time as Olympia’s Poet Laureate, under the name Ashly McBunch and is the first within a series of works created and inspired by Sullivan’s written work. The connection between the poem and painting is not meant to offer answers, but rather, to prompt reflection and introspection, allowing one to discover meaning through their own lens. In this space between abstraction and emotion, they hope one will foster a connection that speaks to the beauty and complexity of the human experience.
Sullivan’s hope is to create a burlesque act inspired by both the poem and painting in the next phase of this project under their person Luna DeLyte