Painting and Beyond 2

This course builds on the introduction of Painting and After 1 in order to further the students ability to work with painting on practical, theoretical, poetical, conceptual and political levels in practice and theory. It will refine the students understanding of the medium with practical painting concepts such as: form weaving, warm contra cold, all-overness, gesture, the flatbed, action painting & happening, and the visual dialectics in-between flatness and depth. As well this class builds on the students ability to recognize the conflicts this medium has been involved in historically. This from Iconoclasm and the holy image to how the camera invaded painting—and further to how the medium liberated itself from this invention and through this idea became the role model for modernism, functionalism and modernity—and inevitably about how this medium ended being a predominant factor within this context through “the picture Generation” —and today again has resurrected within identity politics and through new practices of graffiti as a document for registration of personal experience. This while asking the simple question about in what space, with what urgency, and in which context you do want your work to happen, and how to approach your audiences. Can painting make a difference today, is the question for this class. How can we make our works be understood on our own terms?

The student has practical and theoretical knowledge about painting. The student has knowledge of the traditions of painting and the current state of painting, and about the immanent possibilities it has for the future in our society. Through this class the student can demonstrate an understanding of how to place painting activities within a contemporary and historical narrative and is familiar with the craft of how to execute a painting. The student can analyse and reflect on how different contexts and discourses influence their work. Participation and production will be evaluated through presentation and in the formal semester assessment semester review.

Practical and theoretical experiments in individual work and lectures, group discussions and seminars around producing paintings and exhibitions. The student will develop an individual project which will be presented through an oral presentation to the class. Formal evaluation by end of course.