In the Dirt

December 23, 20249:44 pm - 9:44 pm

In the Dirt

December 3 2021 – January 14 2022

a duet

Engine Main Gallery, 163 Main Street

Opening Reception December 3, 5:00 – 9:00PM

In the Dirt is an exploration of the human desire to preserve. At the start of a summer-long trip out West, Maine based artists Danny Gugger and Grace Foxen stumbled upon a cowboy boot flattened to the pavement off I-40 in Amarillo, TX. Unable to leave it behind, Grace peeled it off the pavement and Danny carefully mounted and framed it. Together, they began collecting lost or discarded objects and thinking critically about the desire to keep the things we love forever. Using ceramics (dirt) Grace began creating physical imprints of the objects she found on the ground. In making the haphazard permanent, she draws attention to the authority modern humans feel over the planet—how making our mark impacts the earth. Through the camera lens, Danny documents (his own form of preservation) vast landscapes contrasted with moments of human interruption. His work also highlights the ways in which the earth preserves itself geologically and our own attempts to preserve the memory of our existence long after we expire.

What people are saying about Engine...

Partnering with UNE, Engine has offered professional level gallery and classroom experiences for undergraduate and local students enrolled in arts classes as well as a venue to see art by both regionally and nationally recognized artists.

Stephen Burt

University of New England

Engine is and has been a focal point of downtown Biddeford for many years for so many artists and creative spirits. It is a go-to for me: a retreat, a destination, a source for connection and ideas and community.

Laura Dunn

Artist

Engine is a wonderful place to work surrounded by wonderful people who have infused so much love and light into the downtown of Biddeford. I cannot imagine a bright future in the town without this wonderful organization.

Savanna Pettengill

Artist & Arts Teacher

Engine fuels the creativity of our city, making it the hub for youth and adults alike to feed their spirits, expand their skills, and create a better future for all of us.

Stephanie Edwards

Community Action Committee