KEIJSERS KONING

Keijsers Koning is proud to present Eileen Maxson’s first solo exhibition at the gallery, which debuts her latest video work, “Parent Trap,” 2024.

“Parent Trap” is a three-channel video installation where Maxson puts her parents through a polygraph exam. Blurring the lines between experimental documentary, family banter, and the American Zeitgeist, in this unscripted, anti-avoiding-the-topic-family-stress test, Maxson and her parents use the absurdity of the situation to engage in serious dialogue across generational, political, and ideological divides. The installation, presented on three distinct screens, each dedicated to one true-life character, immerses the viewer in the dynamic of this table conversation.

The topic of this work may feel polarizing, as we are so attuned to jump in and take up our side against the other. However, “Parent Trap” reflects on how to relate to the people closest to us when we can no longer even agree on basic truths. The antidote for the Maxson’s is laughter at themselves and each other, even if they fail to convince each other of their personal truths.

Maxson describes what led her to make “Parent Trap”: On January 6, 2021, my parents and I were all in the same house, watching the attack on the Capitol unfold on different devices and channels. Dinner was cold. We discussed anything but the obvious and then retreated back to our bubbles. I couldn’t find it that night, but humor is an old and all-purpose tool in my family that I also try to bring to my work. In “Parent Trap,”

I use a lie detector test to play with fire, breaking the ice between me and my parents by tackling subjects too hot for us to handle under normal circumstances. It wasn’t all fun and games, but we surprised ourselves. Spoiler alert: no one cried or stormed off set. We laughed more than I thought possible, and I lived to spin the tale of our experience–mother, father, daughter, looking out at the world (and our dumpster fire democracy) through each other.

Eileen Maxson (b. 1980, Long Island, NY; lives and works in Houston, TX) is an
interdisciplinary artist working at the confluence of video, performance, installation, and photography. She received her BFA in from University of Houston, her MFA from Carnegie Mellon University, and attended De Ateliers, Amsterdam. Exhibition highlights of her work include Wexner Center for the Arts, Columbus, OH; Queens Museum of Art, Queens, NY; and Museum of Moving Image, Queens, NY. Maxson has received awards and grants from Houston Arts Alliance, Nasher Sculpture Center, Mondriaan Foundation, and Artadia, among others. In 2005, Ann Richards, the late Governor of Texas, presented Maxson with the inaugural Arthouse Texas Prize.
On September 21, as part of the CADD gallery day, you are invited to join a moderated roundtable discussion, “Humor, a Common Language in a Politically Divided Family,” created in partnership with the North Texas chapter of Braver Angels, a nationwide organization dedicated to depolarizing politics. Can families laugh through (some of) the pain in politics?

Join and participate in a roundtable moderated by Braver Angels and art historian Mónica Salazar with artist Eileen Maxson and her parents as they share insights and anecdotes from the making of “Parent Trap.” Space is limited. Reservations will be available on Eventbrite: https://roundtable-humor-family-politics.eventbrite.com
ABOUT BRAVER ANGELS Braver Angel’s mission is to bring Americans together to bridge the partisan divide and strengthen our democratic republic. We welcome all political views and never try to change anyone’s mind. We encourage dialogues where individuals exchange views freely and fully, without fear, while treating each other with honesty, dignity, and respect. We find that we learn from those we disagree with when we become curious about their background, experiences and values. We welcome you to learn more about the Braver Angels’ way by visiting braverangels.org for more information on our national organization or emailing
[email protected] to learn about Dallas-area opportunities Keijsers Koning will also conduct an interview with Eileen Maxson for their YouTube Channel
and release an archive of artist interviews in mid-September.

“Parent Trap” is funded in part by the City of Houston through Houston Arts Alliance.

keijserskoning.com