Painting Program in Studio Arts

The Painting Program at seeks to educate students in the dual practices of studio art and critical thinking.

Course work in the painting sequence promotes an appreciation for the ubiquitous presence of painting within the history of art, as well as modern and contemporary painting. Specifically, the Painting Sequence enables exploration in the following ways:-

UNDERGRADUATE

Painting 1
Provides a firm basis in the methods and materials of oil painting. Students will investigate the palette, the stretcher, the canvas, and the board. Students will be introduced to flat and deep pictorial space from directly observed set-ups. Students may be offered the responsibility and challenge of constructing their own set-up from which they will construct, compose, and paint. Attention will be drawn to identifying the point where subject matter begins to shift to content through temperature, surface, form, composition. Frequent participatory critiques will draw out these points. Slides, videos, books, articles/readings, and field-trips help form an introduction to all periods in painting.

Painting 2
While introducing more thought-provoking subject matter and critical thinking, students build on the methods and materials of Painting 1. Assignments move from deep pictorial space into flat space and various 'fields' of painting. Students may learn alternate ways of image-making, including: silk-screen, photo-transfer, collage and mixed media. The emphasis on participatory critique will be heightened in Painting 2, as students' ideas become more sophisticated.

Painting 3
Abstracting and conceptual abstracting will be introduced in Painting 3, forming content through both the representational and non-representational. Computer generated imagery may be used, (Fractal Painter / PhotoShop / Studio Artist), as an alternate painting tool. Subject matter will be directed by instructor, but will include large input from students who will be generating a visual discourse by and for themselves. Variable supports and paints will be introduced. Readings and participatory critique of finished works will form an integral part of this course.

Painting 4
This course fosters and encourages the student to develop the visual discourse of Painting 3 and develop their own artistic voice. Experimentation with the armature and application of traditional and non-traditional paint will be strongly encouraged and supported by instructor. Emphasis will be upon modern and contemporary painting, its' theory and practice. Readings, participatory critique, research, and discussion will from an integral part of this course.

BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS DEGREE

The BFA Program is offered as an Honors Program providing each student with twenty-four hour access to private, individual studio space and a one person show, in the University Gallery.

SPECIAL TOPICS CLASSES

Each semester, the Painting Area offers a 'special topics' course. The area is currently designing new special topics courses which presently:- Abstraction, Contemporary Figure, Digital Painting and Landscape.

MASTER OF FINE ARTS DEGREE

The Graduate Program at Illinois State University seeks to prepare each student for the vocation of professional artist. Moreover, we support and encourage students in the linked vocations of teaching, curating, arts administration, and gallery administration. All students are awarded a full tuition waiver plus assistantship with stipend each and every semester. These assistantships are either in teaching, assisting professors in the painting area, or assisting in the gallery. Individual studio space over a three year period enables each Graduate student to develop their body of work, in preparation for working as an artist outside the institution. Students direct their own working methods with input from professional exhibiting artists on the faculty. In conjunction with studio work, graduate students will study within the art history area which offers courses on modern and contemporary art theory and practice.

Students can elect to work with whom ever they chose in the capacity of Independent Study, thereby coming into contact with variable and diverse opinions. Interdisciplinary contact is encouraged, students electing to work in Installation or Performance may work with Faculty in Video, Sculpture, Drawing/Print-making, Photo, or Painting. Finally, graduate students are required to research and compose a written, supportive statement addressing the visual work in the MFA show.

Graduate students also work closely with the Visiting Artist Program.

Faculty
Cynthia Kukla
Jim Mai
Melissa Oresky
Michael Wille