For six decades, the works of American artists have flowed at a pace that mirrored the nation’s own trek from unrivaled world power to partner in an interconnected world. By pushing boundaries and redefining visual art, they continue to drive radical aesthetic innovation. The variety and significance of American art from 1950 to 2010 are astounding, from De Kooning’s textural abstractions and Diebenkorn’s color field paintings to Pollock’s massive, energetic canvases, from Wayne Thiebaud’s representations of mass culture to Mark Tansey’s paintings filled with hidden messages and symbols. This course examines key examples of this journey, placing them in historical context, both social and artistic.

Alexander Dumbadze is an assistant professor of art history at George Washington University.

APR 7 From Abstract Expressionism to Specific Objects: 1950–1968

Willem de Kooning, Kenneth Noland, Donald Judd.

APR 14 Art as Idea: 1968–1977

Adrian Piper, Martha Rosler, Robert Smithson.

APR 21 From Boom to Bust: Postmodernism and the Market: 1977–1993

Cindy Sherman, Barbara Kruger, Eric Fischl.

APR 28 The Expanding Art World: 1993–2010

Julie Mehretu, Matthew Day Jackson, Urs Fisher.

4 sessions

The museum and cafe are open prior to classes.

Certificate information is available at ResidentAssociates.org/certificate.