Contemporary Painting Practices/Traditional Techniques

This course is an investigation of technical practice, as well as conceptual and critical skills, common to the expanded field of contemporary painting. A series of explorative assigned problems for the first section of the course will challenge the students to resolve problems of composition and narrative based on research, reference, and material concerns. Assignments will prompt students to generate paintings from various tactical approaches: observation, print and digital media, imagination, etc. After evaluating these projects, the students will be encouraged to develop their own problems dealing with personal, investigative painting. We will use traditional materials and techniques to explore traditional problems in painting—color, scale, abstraction, light, and so on—based on individual concerns. Students will learn to develop their own projects based on their sensibilities revealed in the first section of assignments as a means to develop a language and context for creative ideas. Through assignments, drawing, experimentation, risk taking, writing, research, presentations, and critiques, students will challenge and personalize their relationship to painting as a medium in contemporary society. Students will make use of a sketchbook/image archive throughout the course They will be encouraged to tie in current media interests—i.e., film, the Internet, -zines, television, literature, news media, etc.—with a painting practice. This is a studio-oriented class, though students will be expected to work outside of class on projects related to the studio explorations. We will also investigate ideas via readings, artist lectures, videos, field trips, workshops, and other material. Open to students who have had painting courses at a college or advanced high-school level.