Abstraction: Painting Methods

Catalog description

The making of abstract visual forms is a near-universal human activity across time and cultures. These rich traditions have inspired modern and contemporary artists who in turn have shaped abstraction into a significant art movement. In this studio course students will develop an understanding of abstract painting through practice, process, conceptual rigor and art history. They will be introduced to traditional and contemporary painting techniques, painting mediums, surface preparation, color mixing, and styles of visual expression. Beginning by dismantling visual subjects into abstract shapes, followed by composing images with line, pattern, geometry and calligraphy, and finally advancing to the non-representational by focusing on surface, texture, and pigment, this course will journey through varied approaches to abstraction. Simultaneously, a study of select artists from Western, Arab, Asian and other major canons will reveal to students the foundational themes of abstraction such as deconstruction, the transcendental, and the political. Class critiques and critical readings will empower students to examine their artworks and develop their ability to articulate their concepts.