Pat Phillips, Prime Mover, on view at MOCAD from July 11th to October 4th, Photo: Tim Johnson
Event Location
Wendell W. Anderson Jr. Auditorium
201 E. Kirby Street, Detroit, MI, 48202
CCS x MOCAD Woodward Lecture: Pat Phillips
Artist Talks + Panels
Tuesday, September 29, 2026
5:30pm – 7pm
Join artist Pat Phillips for an introduction to his creative process and a closer look at Primer Mover, his first museum presentation at MOCAD.
Through an ongoing partnership as part of the renowned CCS Woodward Lecture Series, CCS and MOCAD bring artists, students, and the public together through shared learning and dialogue. Centered on new and recent works, Primer Mover considers labor, value, and the everyday materials that shape contemporary life. Phillips will discuss the research, material choices, and lived experiences that inform his work, offering insight into the ideas behind the exhibition and his evolving artistic practice.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Pat Phillips
Pat Phillips’ paintings combine personal and historical imagery into surreal juxtapositions, drawing on his experience living in America to meditate on complex questions of race, class, labor, and a militarized culture. Phillips, who grew up primarily in a small town in Louisiana, found his way to art through painting and photographing boxcars. He embraces this entry point, creating paintings that explore the Americana subculture and the current social and political threads running through American culture. His works often contain references to Confederate flags, fences, and guns—all objects that suggest the violent underpinnings of this country and its institutions.
