Honored to have our exhibit reviewed by William Sarradet in Glasstire in the unique format of a reflective essay on the cultural landscape in Dallas.
"Eileen Maxson’s three-channel video installation addresses the complexities of contemporary American politics through an intergenerational lens, with her parents being both subjects and commentators. This work taps into a critique of the performative nature of political discourse, especially within a polarized two-party system that often feels like a manufactured spectacle.
In terms of urbanism and metropolitanism, Maxson’s work doesn’t directly engage with the city but reflects the larger cultural and social divides that manifest in urban settings. Public transit networks, symbolic of shared public space and collective action, contrast with the individual, often isolated nature of political opinion-making shown in this video. The metaphor of a “false wall” installed in the gallery reflects the barriers between the personal and political realms, underscoring how political action can feel disconnected from reality.
The setup of the gallery as a nearly empty space, focusing attention solely on the video screens, speaks to the minimalist nature of political engagement that can exist in insulated bubbles — be it urban, suburban, or rural. Maxson’s interrogation of her parents’ political views thus serves as a microcosm of the broader national dialogue, framed within an art space that is simultaneously a site for public and private engagement." - William Sarradet, October 2024
for the full article please click - Glasstire