“Some of the strongest bolts of insight came from Phillips-Fein and DD4DD. Both of their pieces laid bare the artists’ questions and conflicts at this particular time in their lives — for Phillips-Fein, the focus was on the upheaval of becoming a new mother amid political crisis...Rather than being purely self-reflexive, the two works showed artists asking how to remain human in the midst of conflict, how to challenge, relent, give in, refuse.”
--Alexis Clements, Hyperallergic June 2, 2017
“studies in living otherwise takes you by surprise from the very start. Phillips-Fein's nothing,is,about,nothing appears, almost out of nowhere, with no fanfare whatsoever and proceeds that way. As it goes, many curious things happen without attachment to explanation but with a system of accounting for passage and duration of time.”
--Eva Yaa Asantewaa, Infinte Body, April 16, 2017
Interview with Alexis Clements on "own,Owned" and the Dream Up Festival at Theater for the New City.
Interview with Eva Yaa Asantewa on "From Obama to Occupy: Works of Outrage from 2000-2008."
“Jesse Phillips-Fein gives us Unbind It! (saddam hussein's final poem), a clearly political piece that doesn't feel dogmatic or judgmental but does manage to find beauty in the ugly side of things. Audio clips about the hanging of Saddam Hussein and moments from the Bush adventure years lay the basis for much more abstracted movement and scenarios. The gist of the piece seems to be a reminder that well meaning and serious people, i.e. military, die for questionable decisions ignored by largely self-absorbed civilians in our current society. It is not presented hammer-to-head, though, but in compassionate and passionate human terms, with clothes worn and removed and oblivious kissing serving as metaphors for larger issues.”
--Quinn Baston, Offoffoff.com, February 2010
Interview on "what we can see from here" at the Greening the Ridge Festival.