Course Overview:

Welcome To EarthTab Business School. My Name Is Lars Visser And I Will Be Your Course Preceptor For The Course, Abstract And Conceptual Art Creation.

The Abstract and Conceptual Art Creation course is a deep and intellectually expansive journey into two of the most transformative movements in the history of art. It is designed not only to teach the technical and expressive methodologies behind non-representational visual language but also to immerse you in the philosophical, cultural, political, and experimental dimensions of conceptual practice.

This course provides an in-depth exploration of abstraction as a visual language and conceptual art as an idea-centered practice empowering you to create artworks that go beyond mere aesthetics and embrace symbolism, ideology, critical theory, narrative fragmentation, and non-linear expression.

It serves advanced learners, practicing artists, curators, critics, theorists, and interdisciplinary creatives interested in breaking traditional norms and engaging intellectually rigorous and emotionally resonant methods of artmaking.

Course Goals and Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, you will:

• Master the history, evolution, and sub-movements of abstract and conceptual art, from Kandinsky to Kosuth and beyond.
  
  

• Understand how to express emotions, philosophies, political positions, and metaphysical ideas using form, color, space, materials, and non-visual elements.
  
  

• Analyze and critique artworks devoid of literal meaning and understand how to assign or strip context.
  
  

• Explore non-traditional media and performance art, installation, sound, video, language, and the use of absence.
  
  

• Develop a personal conceptual language rooted in both theory and material experimentation.
  
  

• Create a cohesive body of work or a conceptual art project that explores the artist's own identity, ideas, or reaction to the world.
  
  

Core Components Covered in the Course

1. Foundations of Abstraction and Non-Representational Thought

• The psychological and philosophical underpinnings of abstraction
  
  

• From visual reality to emotional suggestion
  
  

• Color theory in the abstract realm
  
  

• Intuition, automatism, and the unconscious
  
  

2. Abstract Art Movements and Influences

• Early pioneers: Wassily Kandinsky, Kazimir Malevich, Hilma af Klint
  
  

• Abstract Expressionism: Rothko, Pollock, de Kooning
  
  

• Geometric Abstraction, Minimalism, Lyrical Abstraction, Suprematism, Constructivism
  
  

3. Conceptual Art and The Primacy of the Idea

• What is Conceptual Art?
  
  

• "The idea becomes a machine that makes the art" Sol LeWitt
  
  

• Language, text, and absence in art
  
  

• Institutional critique and anti-art positions
  
  

4. Philosophy, Critical Theory, and Conceptual Frameworks

• Structuralism, Post-Structuralism, Semiotics
  
  

• The role of the viewer and interpretation
  
  

• Duchampian readymades and the death of authorship
  
  

• Postmodernism and anti-aesthetic strategies
  
  

5. Materials, Mediums, and Methods

• From canvas to space: performance, installation, body art
  
  

• Found objects, ephemeral art, site-specificity
  
  

• Language as medium: poetry, manifesto, signage, public intervention
  
  

• Multimedia, digital art, sound and silence
  
  

6. Emotional Intelligence and Psychological Intuition

• Accessing inner states through abstraction
  
  

• Making trauma, dreams, or existential questioning visible
  
  

• The psychology of color, line, and space
  
  

7. Studio Practice and Experiential Exercises

• Creating without a subject: gestural mark-making
  
  

• Art as process, art as meditation
  
  

• Structured conceptual exercises (e.g., removing meaning from symbols)
  
  

• Collaborative conceptual projects and installations
  
  

8. Critique, Curation, and Conceptual Documentation

• Writing about abstract and conceptual work
  
  

• Critiques beyond "liking"evaluating impact, theory, and resonance
  
  

• Documenting ephemeral or idea-based art
  
  

• Presentation formats: from gallery to alternative spaces
  
  

9. Global and Contemporary Practices

• Non-Western abstraction and decolonized perspectives
  
  

• Contemporary conceptualists across continents
  
  

• Feminist, LGBTQ+, and activist abstraction
  
  

• The rise of digital conceptualism (NFTs, AI, data-driven work)
  
  

10. Capstone Project: Conceptual Manifesto and Art Presentation

• Development of an original conceptual or abstract project
  
  

• Creation of a personal manifesto or theoretical framework
  
  

• Visual presentation or performative display
  
  

• Peer and instructor critique session
  
  

Skills Developed

• Advanced abstract drawing and painting techniques
  
  

• Artistic and critical writing
  
  

• Art theory and cultural critique
  
  

• Visual storytelling through symbolism and ambiguity
  
  

• Portfolio development
  
  

• Self-directed practice and discipline
  
  

• Conceptualization and proposal writing
  
  

Recommended Materials and Tools

• Mixed media sketchbooks or journals
  
  

• Acrylics, inks, charcoal, graphite, digital software (optional)
  
  

• Found objects and non-traditional materials
  
  

• Audio recording or video tools (for conceptual documentation)
  
  

• Books:
  
  

• Art as Idea as Idea by Joseph Kosuth
  
  

• Theories and Documents of Contemporary Art by Kristine Stiles and Peter Selz
  
  

• The Invisible Dragon by Dave Hickey
  
  

• Concerning the Spiritual in Art by Kandinsky
  
  

Course Structure and Methodology

Each module will follow this format:

• Deep Lecture: Exploring history, theory, and case studies
  
  

• Studio Challenge: A guided creative exercise
  
  

• Critique and Reflection: Peer/instructor analysis
  
  

• Readings and Viewings: Key texts and video resources
  
  

• Quizzes: Theory and visual comprehension checks
  
  

• Assignment: Progressive development of your capstone project
  
  

Outcome and Certification

On successful completion of all modules, the capstone project, and the 50-question exam, you will be awarded a Certificate in Advanced Abstract and Conceptual Art Practice, qualifying them to:

• Showcase their work in progressive exhibitions
  
  

• Apply for residencies or MFA programs
  
  

• Teach or mentor in independent art spaces
  
  

• Enter interdisciplinary creative industries (advertising, curation, writing, design, etc.)
  
  

I Look Forward To Congratulating You Upon Completion Of This Course