A beaver-shaped sculpture in the center with two people in the background looking at artwork in a museum.

Installation view. The Myth of Normal: A Celebration of Authentic Expression. October 5, 2023 – May 19, 2024. MassArt Art Museum, Boston. Photo: Mel Taing.

Installation view. The Myth of Normal: A Celebration of Authentic Expression. October 5, 2023 – May 19, 2024. MassArt Art Museum, Boston. Photo: Mel Taing.

Installation view. The Myth of Normal: A Celebration of Authentic Expression. October 5, 2023 – May 19, 2024. MassArt Art Museum, Boston. Photo: Mel Taing.

a black woman with two buns stands in a field of long dry grass with facing a green sculptural door-like portal

Corinne Spencer. Like Muscle to the Bone, 2016. Video. Courtesy of the artist.

Ezra Wube. Una Favola Vera (A True Fairytale), 2020. HD single-channel video, sound. Courtesy of the artist and Microscope Gallery, NY.

Paul Briggs. Cell Personae, 2019. Stoneware clay, 25 parts. Courtesy of the artist and Friedman Benda, NY.

Brightly colored fabric wall sculpture made out of recycled fabrics

Loretta Park. Part of a pair 1, 2014. Secondhand fabrics. Photo: Eduardo L. Rivera. 

Stephen Hamilton. Worshippers of the Water Spirits, 2022. Acrylic and natural dyes and pigments on copper, wood, denim, and handwoven cotton cloth. Courtesy of the artist and special thanks to LaiSun Keane, MA.

Erin M. Riley. An Accident, 2020. Wool, cotton. Courtesy of the artist and PPOW Gallery, NY

Sculptural installation glass, and wood.

Heather Rowe. Suffusion Screen, (her thoughts, means, and ends), 2014. Glass, mirror, plywood, wallpaper, paint, steel, fabric. Courtesy of the artist and James Cohan Gallery, NY.

A man stands on a block of wood in bright red heeled boots, wearing only white briefs with his face hidden behind leaves and his hands clasped behind his back

Zhidong Zhang. Backyard Portrait, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.

Nancy Callan. Apricot Shimmer Orb, 2018. Blown glass. Photo: Russell Johnson.

The Myth of Normal

A Celebration of Authentic Expression Past

October 5, 2023–May 19, 2024
A beaver-shaped sculpture in the center with two people in the background looking at artwork in a museum.

Installation view. The Myth of Normal: A Celebration of Authentic Expression. October 5, 2023 – May 19, 2024. MassArt Art Museum, Boston. Photo: Mel Taing.

Installation view. The Myth of Normal: A Celebration of Authentic Expression. October 5, 2023 – May 19, 2024. MassArt Art Museum, Boston. Photo: Mel Taing.

Installation view. The Myth of Normal: A Celebration of Authentic Expression. October 5, 2023 – May 19, 2024. MassArt Art Museum, Boston. Photo: Mel Taing.

a black woman with two buns stands in a field of long dry grass with facing a green sculptural door-like portal

Corinne Spencer. Like Muscle to the Bone, 2016. Video. Courtesy of the artist.

Ezra Wube. Una Favola Vera (A True Fairytale), 2020. HD single-channel video, sound. Courtesy of the artist and Microscope Gallery, NY.

Paul Briggs. Cell Personae, 2019. Stoneware clay, 25 parts. Courtesy of the artist and Friedman Benda, NY.

Brightly colored fabric wall sculpture made out of recycled fabrics

Loretta Park. Part of a pair 1, 2014. Secondhand fabrics. Photo: Eduardo L. Rivera. 

Stephen Hamilton. Worshippers of the Water Spirits, 2022. Acrylic and natural dyes and pigments on copper, wood, denim, and handwoven cotton cloth. Courtesy of the artist and special thanks to LaiSun Keane, MA.

Erin M. Riley. An Accident, 2020. Wool, cotton. Courtesy of the artist and PPOW Gallery, NY

Sculptural installation glass, and wood.

Heather Rowe. Suffusion Screen, (her thoughts, means, and ends), 2014. Glass, mirror, plywood, wallpaper, paint, steel, fabric. Courtesy of the artist and James Cohan Gallery, NY.

A man stands on a block of wood in bright red heeled boots, wearing only white briefs with his face hidden behind leaves and his hands clasped behind his back

Zhidong Zhang. Backyard Portrait, 2022. Courtesy of the artist.

Nancy Callan. Apricot Shimmer Orb, 2018. Blown glass. Photo: Russell Johnson.

The Myth of Normal: A Celebration of Authentic Expression looks at societal norms that have been codified over our collective past. Focusing on the achievements of MassArt’s alumni, this exhibition is guest-curated by Mari Spirito ’92, Executive Director of Protocinema, on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of Massachusetts College of Art and Design.

Gabor Maté’s 2022 book, The Myth of Normal: Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture, written with Daniel Maté, examines beliefs and behaviors that are generally considered normal even though they are in fact making us emotionally and physically sick. Because of unhealthy norms, such as overworking, human beings are contorting themselves in order to survive day to day life. The Matés emphasize authentic expression as a means to work towards becoming whole. Building on the Matés’ writing, Spirito proposes that art, as a form of self-expression, plays a pivotal role in overall wellness.

Explore 3D Tour

Artists
Freedom Baird M’16Paul S. Briggs M’16Nancy Callan ’96Cedric “Vise1” Douglas ’11Rashin Fahandej ’06Kate Finneran ’92Stephen Hamilton ’09Maya Hayuk ’91Gail Hendricks-Hill ’75Steve Locke ’97, M’01, H’22Christian Marclay ’80Chandra Méndez-Ortiz M’05Tony Millionaire ’81Felipe Ortiz ’09Shannon Palmer ’92Loretta Park M’16 Jack Pierson ’86Luther Price ’87Erin M. Riley ’07 Heather Rowe ’93Mark Skwarek ’01 and Joseph HockingMimi Smith ’63Corinne Spencer ’10Richard Streitmatter-Trần ’03Tabboo! ’81Kathleen White ’86Jackie Winsor ’65Ezra Wube ’04Bahar Yürükoğlu M’11Zhidong Zhang M’20
Free and open to the public. Always.
Resources
Exhibition Summary
Exhibition Text
Credits

This exhibition was curated by Mari Spirito ’92. 

Mari Spirito is Executive Director and Curator of Protocinema, a cross-cultural art organization in Istanbul and New York, which she founded in 2011. In 2023 Protocinema produced Art, Ancestors, Ghosts, & the Dead, convening on attitudes towards death across cultures, with ICI (Independent Curators International) at The Clemente Center, New York. In 2022 Spirito launched Protodispatch, a monthly digital publication with Laura Raicovich. From 2013 to 2018 she programmed the Conversations program for both Art Basel and Art Basel Miami Beach, and was Director of 303 Gallery New York from 2000 to 2012. She is on the Board of Participant Inc, New York, and holds a BFA from Massachusetts College of Art and Design, Boston.

With gratitude to all galleries, artist estates, family, friends, MAAM team, and MassArt students who collaborated with us: 

Friedman Benda, NY | Gallery Kayafas, Boston | Gordon Robichaux, NY | Habatat Galleries, MI | Ed Halter | KARMA Gallery, NY | Laisun Keane, Boston | Light Industry | Lisson Gallery, NY | Martos Gallery, NY | Microscope Gallery, NY | Jeremy Palmer and Family | Paula Cooper Gallery, NY | P•P•O•W., NY | Schantz Galleries | Trần Thị Thu Trang | Estate of Kathleen White with Rafael Sánchez | Patrick Brennan | Emily Canales | Wendy Díaz | Lexie Dowgiert | Reid Drum | Emily Elliott | Joy Feasley | Ethan Flematti | Erin Gallagher | Arielle Gordon | Nell Gould | Matthew Hinçman | Brian Hone | Elodie Hornedo | Gabby Kay | Aleks Laffey | Harry Liao | Jenn Lima | Janna Longacre | Kylie Marden | MassArt Compass Program | MassArt Print Lab | Jonise McCalla | Jennifer Nguyen | Dylan Reid | Shan Ross | Faeryn Seddon | Michelle Stevens | Paul Swenbeck | Aryn Tedstone | Willow Trodden | Lisa Tung | Chloé Zaug

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