Abstract:
This portfolio thesis seeks to better understand the relationship between abstraction and
representation in oil painting. To do so I researched past schools of thought that
continue to hold influence, beginning with Greenberg's views on modernism. I also
considered select contemporary artists who contend with both aesthetics in their work.
Most significantly, I created a collection of oil paintings to explore my research
questions and resolve the rift in how I used abstraction and representation in my own
work. As art critic Terry Myers discusses, today's artistic climate embraces coalition,
which is what I aimed to foster in my own artistic practice through this undertaking.
This thesis contributes insight on the creative process as well as a new collection of oil
paintings that furthers my personal growth as an artist and addresses a topical question
in the field of contemporary painting.