If we can’t count on art students to liberate us from mass political confusion, then we’re in trouble.
Luckily, the Maine College of Art’s annual MFA Thesis Exhibition—first of the Trump era—finds the state's most supple art minds up to the task. With video, installation, performance and multimedia work, these nine MFA students not only confront the stultifying, oppressive, and boring-ass norms of American cultural life, they also embrace the avenues by which identity and physicality is developing political bite.
kAm"F66C6C 2?5 >@C6 3@=5=J A9JD:42= E92? J62CD A2DE[ E96 4@==64E:@? D9@HD E92E 7@C 2== E96 DEFA:5:EJ 2?5 ?@?D6?D6 :? p>6C:42? A@=:E:42= =:76[ 2CE:DED 2C6 >2<:?8 A6CD@?2= 2?5 5:D4@G6C:6D 7C@> E96 C6AC6DD:@? 2?5 E96 92K6[ C64@8?:K:?8 E92E 3@5J 2?5 :56?E:EJ 42? 36 A@H6C7F= E@@=D 7@C A@=:E:42= 286?4J]k^Am
kAmtI9:3:E p @7 E9:D :D $96=3J (J??6 #:492C5D@?’D k6>m(:== *@F !6E |J !FDDJnk^6>m[ 2 92?5>256 >:I65\>65:2 2CE:DE 3@@< H9:49 7FD6D E96 G:DF2= G@423F=2CJ @7 :==FDEC2E65 A@A\FA DE@C:6D H:E9 2 BF66C 76>:?:DE 6E9@D 2?5 E96 =2?8F286 @7 4@?D6?E\32D65 D6I 65F42E:@?] sC2H:?8[ 2D D96 DE2E6D[ 7C@> E96 “x?DE28C2>\72>@FD[ E9@D6 H9@ H62C E96:C ‘A=2DE:4\?6DD’ @? E96:C D=66G6D[” 6249 DAC625 5:DA=2JD 2 92?5\C6?56C65 G28:?2 C6?56C65 :? >2E6C:2==J 5:D4C6E6 7@C>D] $@>6 2C6 <:ED49J[ D@>6 4FE6j >2?J 2C6 :?5665 7F? E@ A6E WH9:49 #:492C5D@? :?G:E6DX] p=@?8D:56 6249 :D 2 5:4EF> @7 AFDDJA=2J E96 2CE:DE DA6==D @FE :? 3=@4<J ?FCD6CJ\C9J>6 G6CD6 W“u:CDE E:4<=6 @? >J :??6C E9:89ED ^ (:E9 7@C6A=2J A=62D6 36 D=@H ?@E D9J”X] sFC:?8 >J G:D:E[ 2 >:5\7:7E:6D >2=6 D64FC:EJ 8F2C5 2AAC@24965 k6>m(:== *@F !6E |J !FDDJnk^6>m H:E9 H92E =@@<65 E@ 36 4FC:@D:EJ 2?5 36>FD6>6?E[ H62C:?8 2 F?:7@C> 2?5 E96 E9:? 2C>@C @7 2 D>:C<] xE C6>:?565 >6 @7 E96 x?DE28C2> A96?@>6?@? @7 G:6H:?8 2 72>:=:2C 7665 WJ@FCD @C 2?@E96C’DX :>28:?65 E9C@F89 E96 6J6D @7 2? :?E6C6DE:?8 7C:6?5] (92E 5:5 E92E A6CD@? E9:?< @7 E92E :>286nk^Am
kAmxE H2D u@F42F=E H9@ 36=:6G65 E92E D@4:6EJ H2D 2 8C:5 @7 :56@=@8:42= A=2?6D DE24<65 :?4@?8CF@FD=J 2E@A @?6 2?@E96C[ ?6G6C 7:EE:?8 AC@A6C=J[ 2?5 2CE:DE s2J?2 #:6>=:?5 >2<6D ?@ =6DD G:G:5 2 DE2E6>6?E] $96 DE:E496D A2EE6C?D 2?5 6>3C@:56C65 56D:8? @?E@ 5J6\DF3=:>2E65 AC:?ED @7 A9@E@8C2A9D @7 5:DE:?4E A=246D[ 5C2H:?8 @FE 9:DE@C:42= 2?5 A6CD@?2= >62?:?8 3J 4@?EC2DE:?8 DA96C6D @7 E:>6[ 86@8C2A9J[ 2?5 >6>@CJ] w6C (2E496C Wa_`f[ 92?5 6>3C@:56CJ @? 4@EE@?[ bc” I c_”X[ 2C8F23=J E96 D9@H’D >@DE G:G:5 :>286[ 4@?;@:?D EH@ 92?5D :? 6>3C@:56C65 C65 723C:4 A@4<65 H:E9 E62CJ 3=F6 6J6D[ 2 D:8? E92E E96 2CE:DE:4 E6CC2:? #:6>=:?5 H@C<D :? 6IA2?5D 36J@?5 E96 A9JD:42= H@C=5 2?5 :?E@ 5C62>]k^Am
kAmp =@F5 A:646 3J y@D6 #@5C:8F6K[ yC] 3F:=5D @? BF66C E96@C:DE {66 t56=>2?’D AC:?4:A=6 :?D:89E 7C@> E96 =2?5>2C< a__c 3@@< k6>m}@ uFEFC6i "F66C %96@CJ 2?5 E96 s62E9 sC:G6k^6>m] t56=>2?’D E96@CJ @7 “C6AC@5F4E:G6 7FEFC:D>” :56?E:7:6D E92E E96 4@>>@? p>6C:42? A@=:E:42= A=2E7@C> @7 36:?8 “AC@\49:=5C6?” 2?5 “AC@\7FEFC6[” H9:49 3@E9 A2CEJ’D 7:8FC6D 25@AE 2D F?2DD2:=23=6 C96E@C:4 5FC:?8 A@=:E:42= 42>A2:8?D[ :D :?EC:?D:42==J 2?5 AC@3=6>2E:42==J 96E6C@?@C>2E:G6 2?5 2DDF>6D E96 DFAC6>24J @7 AC@4C62E:G6 72>:=:6D 23@G6 @E96C 4:E:K6?D] Wx? E96 3@@<[ t56=>2? 4:E6D 2 v~! @A6C2E:G6 4@>A=2:?:?8 :? E96 }6H *@C< %:>6D 23@FE 2 `hhf q:== r=:?E@? A9@E@\@A 36D:56 H:76 2?5 52F89E6Ci “%9:D :D E96 72E96C A:4EFC6[” D2JD E96 #6AF3=:42? >65:2 4@?DF=E2?E] “%9:D :D E96 5255J 362C[ E9:D :D E96 9625 @7 E96 A@=:E:42= 9@FD69@=5] }@E9:?8 96=AD 9:> >@C6]”Xk^Am
kAm#@5C:8F6K H2?ED E@ 7F4< H:E9 E9:D] (:E9 42>AJ 9F>@C 2?5 ?@5D E@ t56=>2?[ k6>m%9:D {2?5 xD |J {2?5k^6>m 6C64ED 2 >@4< A@=:E:42= C2==J—4@>A=6E6 H:E9 @C:8:?2= A@=:E:42= 3C2?5:?8[ 2 =@E @7 362C :>286CJ 2?5 4@DA=2J[ 2?5 @?6 9JA?@E:42==J C6A6E:E:@FD DA6649[ 2== @7 :E 2 D2E:C6 @? E96 A@=:E:4D @7 72>:=J G2=F6D 2?5 :ED =2E6?E 9@>@A9@3:2] pD E96 D9@H’D @?=J A:646 H::E9 D@F?5[ #@5C:8F6K’D =@@A:?8 2F5:@ EC24< W2?5 :ED C64FCC:?8 7F8F6 @7 “%9:D xD ~FC %:>6”X 42? 5@>:?2E6 E96 2E>@DA96C6] qFE :? 2 H@C=5 H96C6 AC@>:?6?E C:89E\H:?8 7:8FC6D 7@C>65 v2JD u@C %CF>A 4@2=:E:@?D 2?5 C642DE E96 C62= 6DE2E6 >@8F= 2D “s255J[” E96C6’D >F49 E@ 6IA=@C6 96C6 36J@?5 t56=>2?]k^Am
kAmx 42?’E C6>6>36C 2 82==6CJ 6IA6C:6?46 2D G:D46C2= 2D x 925 G:6H:?8 E96 H@C< @7 $2C29 t>49[ 2? 2CE:DE H9@D6 E9C66 G:56@ A:646D 2EE6>AE E@ C64@?4:=6 A2DE 6IA6C:6?46D @7 D6=7\>F=E:=2E:@? 2?5 E96 >6E9@5D @7 4@?7C@?E:?8 A6CD@?2= EC2F>2] x? @?6[ 2 7:G6\>:?FE6 G:56@ E:E=65 k6>m#64@==64E:@?k^6>m[ H6 D66 E96 2CE:DE’D 32C65 FAA6C 496DE C6A62E65=J D=:465 H:E9 2 D>2== 3=256 WAC6DF>23=J 3J 96C @H? 92?5X] %9@F89 E96 3=256 4FED 2E 32C6 DFC7246 =6G6=[ 96C D<:?’D C6DA@?D6—E96 D=@H=J 7@C>:?8 D42CD 2?5 5@EE:?8 A@4<6ED @7 3=@@5—67764E:G6=J 4@?G6JD 2 C9JE9> @7 A2:? 72C 566A6C E92? D<:?] x? E96 5:DBF:6E:?8 k6>mx?G@=F?E2CJk^6>m[ H6 H:E?6DD E96 2CE:DE D66>:?8 E@ 2EE6>AE W2?5 72:=X E@ 4@?5:E:@? 96CD6=7 E@ E96 C67=6I:G6 A9JD:42= C6DA@?D6 E@ 2 C65\4@=@C65 7=F:5 A6C:@5:42==J 5C:AA:?8 @?E@ 96C 7@C69625] ':6H65 2D D96 =2JD DFA:?6 H:E9 6J6D 4=@D65[ :E :D 2? 28@?:K:?8 2?5 :?E:>2E6 `f\>:?FE6 C:EF2=] pD 492==6?8:?8 2D E96J 2C6 E@ H2E49[ t>49’D 2CE7F=[ GF=?6C23=6 6IA=@C2E:@?D @7 E96 3@5J’D C6=2E:@?D9:A E@ EC2F>2 2?5 23FD6 2C6 EC6>6?5@FD=J 27764E:?8]k^Am
kAm~E96C DE2?5@FED :?4=F56 k6>m$665[ 2 DEC2E:7:65 H@>2?k^6>m[ :? H9:49 {@F:D6 r@FA2C\$E2>2E 6G@<6D E96>6D @7 3:CE9 2?5 6>6C86?46 E9C@F89 E96 >2E6C:2= 9:DE@CJ @7 4=2J[ 2 DF3DE2?46 D96 6?E@>3D 2?5 42<6D 2C@F?5 D6G6C2= H@>6? @G6C G:56@] %9C66 =2C86 >2E6C:2= D4F=AEFC6D 3J q6?;2>:? $A2=5:?8[ 4@==64E65 96C6 2D k6>mq242=@@k^6>m[ 7FD6 5:D4C6E6[ EC2?DC68:@?2= 4F=EFC2= D:8?:7:6CD W=:<6 $2?E6C:2 2=E2CD[ 9@4<6J 8=@G6D[ 2?5 }6H t?8=2?5 7=2??6=X :?E@ 64DE2E:4 7:8FC2= C6AC6D6?E2E:@?D @7 E96 2>2=82>2E6 :56?E:E:6D @7 E96 2CE:DE’D 4F=EFC2= 96C:E286] %96J’C6 <:?5 @7 8=@C:@FD] x >:DD65 E96 =:G6 A6C7@C>2?46 3J rCJDE2= v2=6 !96=AD[ D2:5 E@ DF>>@? A@=:E:42= 286?4J E9C@F89 4@?E6>A@C2CJ 52?46 2?5 4:C4FD 2CED WE9@F89 G:6H6CD 42? 42E49 96C 282:? @? yF?6 h 7C@> ` E@ c A>X]k^Am
kAm%96C6 >2J ?6G6C 92G6 366? 2 DEFA:56C[ >@C6 4J?:42= E:>6 E@ 36 2=:G6] qFE =@@< 2E E96D6 7@=<D] %96J’G6 7@F?5 2 76H :562D H@CE9 9@=5:?8 @? E@]k^Am
k9C ^m
kAmkDEC@?8m|trp |up %96D:D tI9:3:E:@? M %9C@F89 yF?6 h M xrp 2E |trp[ daa r@?8C6DD $E][ !@CE=2?5 M k2 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]>642]65FQmHHH]>642]65Fk^2mk^DEC@?8mk^Am
kAmk6>m}:4< $49C@656C 42? 36 C624965 2E k2 9C67lQ>2:=E@i?:4<oA@CE=2?5A9@6?:I]>6Qm?:4<oA@CE=2?5A9@6?:I]>6k^2mk^6>mk^Am
kAm k^Am
