Montana State University School of Art and the Helen E. Copeland Gallery are pleased to announce the opening of Mode of Production: MFA Thesis Exhibition by Chad Carignan. “Mode of Production” is the culmination of Carignan’s artistic research over three years in MSU’s Masters of Fine Arts Program, opening Monday, March 28 – April 1, 2016. This exhibition is free and open to the public Please join us for the Closing Reception on Thursday, March 31, 6-8 PM. Hors d’oeuvres and refreshments will be served.
Carignan is driven by a desire to understand economic practices through the production of a commodity. In “Mode of Production” Carignan analyzes specialization and repetition as modes of production, allowing him to model the structures which modern societies are built upon. The exhibit contains miniature cinderblocks, which are are extruded, cut, stacked, and fired. The miniature cinderblocks will be sold for $1 each during my exhibition.
As Carignan states, “We are living in a time in which the practices required to support our current standards of living are in question, from concerns with sustainability to workers rights. Through this process, I gain insight into contemporary practices of production. Viewer participation provides the opportunity for the work to transform from a marker of commodity to an object of value to the consumer.”
Carignan is from the state of Washington. After attending community college and traveling to California for a few years, he finished his BFA at Central Washington University in 2012. After undergrad, he was a potter’s assistant in Helena, Montana before being accepted to Montana State University to pursue his MFA. Chad can be contacted at www.chadcarignan.com.
The Helen E. Copeland Gallery is located on the second floor of Haynes Hall. Please note that the parking passes are required for parking during the business day (6AM – 6PM).
Helen E. Copeland Gallery Hours: Monday – Friday, 9AM – 5PM / Closed on weekends
