I’m always moved to see our MFA EDA thesis work begin to come together, having witnessed the evolution and confluence of idea and form throughout the last year and half. Our seven graduates this spring transport viewers and listeners to diverse geographies near and far; to institutional spaces, mythologies, and traditions embraced and contested; and to the luminance of time-based media and the felt engagement of installation work, among much else.
Whether intended or not, this is all work produced in the context of COVID-19—stories discovered, created, and crafted despite any limitations to graduate study brought on by a pandemic. Annually, our MFA EDA thesis exhibitions are an opportunity to witness the newest in experimental and documentary art in venues throughout Durham, on and off campus. We must celebrate all the accomplishment, but even more importantly fully consume what these seven artists are serving up, take it all in completely, look and listen, and then again.
— Tom Rankin
Director, Master of Fine Arts in Experimental and Documentary Arts
Professor of the Practice of Art, Art History & Visual Studies