April 13 – 24
Reception: Friday, April 17, 5pm
Location: Commonwealth Gallery, 90 S Baldwin St, Madison, WI
The objects by Carly “Car” Riegger ask what disabled interpretations of material can look like. They pose a perspective of the body pertaining to disabled life while addressing the emotional materiality that becomes complex. Their pieces blend the emotional, sensorial, material, and structural intimacy of being chronically ill, glimpses and moments into their resting space. Bodies drip, bend, fold, wrinkle, degrade, grow. The work expands how we understand the material of the body and what happens to that material and identity in moments of strife and transition, key to the disabled existence. As a sculptor, Riegger is reimagining crip materiality, coined by Jessica A. Cooley, asking what a material’s limits are to convey disabled experiences with the body, particularly one that is chronically ill.
The Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibitions season continues with Carly “Car” Riegger’s exhibition. The MFA Thesis Exhibitions mark the culmination of a three-year degree program that emphasizes development of a rigorous studio art practice under the supervision of a faculty guidance committee. Exploring an interdisciplinary approach to art making, as well as coursework in art history and related fields, artists cultivate professional practices that facilitate a sustainable career in the arts. Join us in celebrating our Class of 2026 UW-Madison Graduate professionals!