Pentiment: MFA Exhibition by nessi alexander-barnes
Reception & talk: Thursday, November 21, 4:30-6:30PM
Using a dense personal mythology aggregated from idiosyncratic engagement with pop culture and a long history with online participatory cultures, nessi's work allegorically catalogues xyr experiences as a neurodivergent genderqueer and generally queer person attempting to interface with a frequently hostile and alienating social world. At issue are questions as to whether and how it is possible to be understood; as authenticity to nessi's experience increases, legibility decreases. Through the use of painting, diaphanous fabrics, projection, and deeply nested knots, "Pentiment" claims that there is worth in trying to bridge that gap and interfacing in cultural objects clearly designed with someone else in mind.
nessi is an MFA candidate at the University of Missouri, Columbia. Xe received a BFA in studio art and a BS in art history at Towson University, in Maryland.