Maintenance Artist
An incisive portrait of Mierle Laderman Ukeles, whose radical public art turns sanitation work and civic maintenance into a form of cultural practice.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Mild
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- reflective
- thoughtful
- sincere
- museum programming
- educational viewing
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Ukeles’s artistic practice directly joins creative work with sanitation and waste-management labor.
The subject is identified as New York City’s first Sanitation Department artist-in-residence and is associated with groundbreaking public art.
The documentary explores how Ukeles connects her public art career to the practical work of sanitation and maintenance.
Films like Maintenance Artist, and why
The Price of Everything
Shares an art documentary focus on socially engaged practice, public space, and the relationship between artistic labor and civic life.
Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present
Comparable as a reflective portrait of an influential contemporary artist whose work challenges conventional definitions of art and institutions.
Waste Land
Shares an art-world documentary approach centered on unconventional materials, labor, and the transformation of ordinary environments into artistic subjects.
Movie Details
- Director
- Toby Perl Freilich
- Release Date
- 2025-06-08
- Runtime
- 90 min
- Rating
- 0.0 / 10
Cast
- Mierle Laderman Ukeles
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video
- Buy
- Amazon Video
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Maintenance Artist about?
- An incisive portrait of Mierle Laderman Ukeles, whose radical public art turns sanitation work and civic maintenance into a form of cultural practice.
- What is Maintenance Artist like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Maintenance Artist as measured, its intensity as mild and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Maintenance Artist violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Maintenance Artist.
- Which films are like Maintenance Artist?
- Films with a similar feel include The Price of Everything, Marina Abramović: The Artist Is Present, and Waste Land.
- How long is Maintenance Artist?
- Maintenance Artist runs 90 minutes.
- Where can I watch Maintenance Artist?
- In United States, Maintenance Artist is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video.
