AHI 599TUT - Independ Study Art Hist

Abstract Expressionism has been hailed by some art historians as the ¿triumph of American painting,¿ as New York City became the center of the art world following World War II. The emergence of the postwar American avant-garde will be the focus of this course, as we consider the politics and formal innovations of Abstract Expressionism. This seminar will examine some of the New York School¿s biggest names, notably Jackson Pollock, Willem de Kooning, and Mark Rothko, as well as some of its lesser-known figures, such as Norman Lewis, Lee Krasner, and Isamu Noguchi. In addition to these artists, the class will include pertinent critics, writers, and gallerists who contributed to the discourses surrounding Abstract Expressionism. Various methodologies will be applied to this investigation, including formalist, poststructuralist, feminist, and Marxist models. Particular emphasis will be placed on gendered, racial, and religious identity within the New York School, thereby situating Abstract Expressionism within the historical context of Cold War America.

Credits: 1 - 8