Contemporary Art and the Canon: Emulation, Pastiche, Parody
Thursdays, April 3 – April 24, 1 – 3pm
Cecily Brown. Girl on a Swing (detail), 2004. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Gift of the Collectors Committee. © 2024 Cecily Brown
$220; members $198
(4 classes)
About the Class
Since its inception, modern art has rejected uninspired imitation. To mimic another artist’s style meant belonging to a specific school, with the Ecole des Beaux-Arts being the prime—and most derided—example. However, even the artists who were hungriest for originality and individuality had an equally strong counter-desire: to be accepted into museums and, thus, secure their place in art history. This course looks at the complex relationship that modern artists have with the art of the past. Through a series of case studies featuring artists like Picasso and Duchamp, as well as contemporary figures like like Cecily Brown, we will examine the various ways in which artists have sought to distance themselves from earlier art while positioning themselves as its successors.
The class is online-only. More about online classes.
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Barnes classes will:
- Sharpen your observational and critical thinking skills.
- Improve your ability to communicate about art.
- Deepen your appreciation for cultures and histories outside your own.
Cecily Brown. Girl on a Swing, 2004. National Gallery of Art, Washington, DC. Gift of the Collectors Committee. © 2024 Cecily Brown
Instructor
Paul Galvez
Galvez is research associate at the Edith O’Donnell Institute of Art History at the University of Texas at Dallas. His book Courbet’s Landscapes: The Origins of Modern Painting (Yale University Press) is the first major study of Gustave Courbet’s work in the genre. A scholar of modern art from the 19th century to the present, Galvez curated Object Lessons: Jay DeFeo Works on Paper from the 1970s for Galerie Frank Elbaz in 2018 and recently wrote about Cézanne and James Ensor for Artforum.
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Go Further
Close-Looking Immersion: Gauguin’s Haere Pape
This new series of single-session immersions provides opportunities to study and discuss individual works. Instructor: Naina Saligram
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