Artists Explore Wincing as Visionary Practice in Marfa Studio Collaborations

In March 2026, visual artist Jean Goehring opened his Marfa studio for collaborative performances exploring the act of wincing or closing eyes as an artistic strategy. The events featured sound performances by Kevin Whittley and Nick Terry, and an accordion duet by Katherine Vaughn and Mai Snow, with participants often lying on the floor with eyes closed. Goehring, whose textured paintings framed the performances, described beginning and ending each day by looking at the sky and wincing, a practice shaped by his limited mobility and persistent experimentation. Concurrently, choreographer Nina Martin of the collective Lower Left led a workshop in Marfa's historic USO building where thirty participants practiced standing before groups with eyes closed, then opening them in exercises disrupting habitual perception. These artistic investigations emerged in response to rapid societal changes observed from late January through March 2026, including military presence and border proposals. The practices position wincing not as retreat but as recalibration—a way to resist acceleration, expand imaginative possibility, and build collective resilience through non-verbal communication and shared tension. The article references Emily Dickinson's line about wincing as preferable to dying, framing the gesture as a promise to continue looking despite difficult truths.