Abstract painting is now being practiced by artists who explore the vocabulary of Modernism but reject Modernist claims to originality and purism. Students explore this history and its application to practice, as well as abstraction's move from Modernist ideas that described painting as an autonomous surface, to Post-Modern ideas surrounding painting as a cultural, textual site. Furthermore, this course will highlight current trends in abstraction and how international communities are embracing the powerful act of painting - using material languages that connect to their cultural environments and histories. - Scott Everingham