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Learner Reviews & Feedback for In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting by The Museum of Modern Art

4.9
stars
1,469 ratings

About the Course

Take an in-depth, hands-on look at materials, techniques, and approaches to making abstract paintings. Through studio demonstrations and gallery walkthroughs, you’ll form a deeper understanding of what a studio practice means and how ideas develop from close looking. Readings and other resources provide a broader cultural, intellectual, and historical context around the era when these artists were active. The artists featured in the course—Willem de Kooning, Yayoi Kusama, Agnes Martin, Barnett Newman, Jackson Pollock, Ad Reinhardt, and Mark Rothko—serve as points of departure for your own abstract paintings. Learners who wish to participate in the optional studio exercises may need to purchase art supplies. A list of suggested materials is included in the first module....

Top reviews

AN

May 22, 2021

Excellent. The course was very educational, extremely well put together and Corey´s instruction was excellent. One really needed to put time and effort into it but is worth every second of time spend.

DB

Jul 25, 2020

Beyond my expectations! Encouraged by in studio where I discovered I could be successful experimenting with all the different artists. The knowledge, insight, and fascinating experience was joyous!

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601 - 625 of 637 Reviews for In the Studio: Postwar Abstract Painting

By BILAL A A

Aug 6, 2017

thanks

By Caroline G

Jul 2, 2018

loved

By Jing L

May 23, 2017

Thank

By Johannes H

Feb 7, 2023

Top!

By Mona A A

Jun 6, 2021

GOOD

By JUAN M Ñ P

Dec 13, 2023

-

By Deleted A

Jul 15, 2020

Until last week, I was extremely happy to be taking this course. Especially that it's online and available during these strange covid-19 times.

But I am experiencing another aspect of the course that's putting another light on taking it:

In the midst of my life tasks and responsibilities, and longing to simply get back to actually painting, all the many otherwise worthy Coursera homework assignments in the "In the Studio" course are becoming overwhelming to keep up with, or even to try. So I've mostly given up on doing the readings, and am right now just trying to watch as many of the videos as I can manage.

I'm trying to relax the tension I feel around the pink exclamation (!) mark that appears when I get an answer wrong on a test. And trying to just learn, and enjoy whatever I can manage to do in the course.

I have yet to actually do one of the painting exercises, which I thought would be great to learn from and the reason I signed up. I'm basically just trying to get off the computer so I can paint more, hopefully, with ideas and inspiration from Corey D'Augustine's instruction.

***I am wondering if all the artists we are learning about--Pollack, Milne and others--went through intensive academic instruction and testing, and whether they took intellectual learning of facts, and tests and grading as important, or even relevant to their work, other than as an intellectual restrictions to see beyond and go beyond.***

What I am suggesting is that you offer the choice of another way of going through the course, more experientially, without the intellectual demands and academic grading and punitive feedback; for artists and others who have genuine interest in the material. I'm sure Coursera is not aware of that as part of their art presentation, but it is. For anyone like myself, who did not have an easy time in school (and in liberal arts college and grad school programs), the grading and automated harsh feedback is unpleasant and counter to an artist's work and life. And it reawakens memories of how difficult a time I had in school.

I, like many other artists, used to think I must be lazy or unintelligent, and it's taken many years to realize I am intelligent and just need to be in and create an environment that suits my artistic style.

Academic punitiveness is not something that we should be having to deal with again as adults, and certainly not during these difficult covid-19 times. More spaciousness, choices and kindness are needed, in particular, around the Coursera testing feedback and homework.

I wonder if this academic conventional strictness is so ingrained in the culture that it might be invisible to those in academia?

Otherwise, it's a great course. And Corey D-Augustine is a great teacher.

I hope this response can be read and considered in future programming. Thank you very much for asking for feedback, and for this otherwise really excellent course.

By Greg W

Mar 4, 2023

The course art content is fantastic. Support zero. The lack of support diminished my experience on this course. The assessment is a joke. Many of the multiple-choice quiz questions are pedagogically incorrect and seriously disadvantage students that don't have English as a first language. The peer-assessment is a joke. It's carried out by fellow students that are not given any training in assessment and if they were would not be experienced enough to do it. The website has serious navigation issues. Some of the learning materials are inappropriate for vision-impaired students.

The instructor, Corey Augustine, is fantastic but he is not reachable. Questions relating to his excellent demonstrations go unanswered. We could all learn so much more with a little feedback on techniques being demonstrated.

By Allan M

Mar 11, 2021

Being a landscape painter, I wanted to open my mind to Absteact painting.

The course was easy to follow and the video demonstrations helped show the techniques used by the painters studied. At the end of each section futher reading was available or pointers to its location on line.

I enjoyed painting in the style of the painters we studied, however, one draw back for me was being in full Lockdown I only had limited materials to hand. (this would not been a problem normally) this ment I had to improvise,

A quiz at the end of each section are multipule choice, not my fav, with 80% pass mark, however, if you found you were weak on a part you can re read and resit.

Overall I enjoyed this look in to the world of Abstract Painting, but the worrying thing was that most of them ended up commiting suicide.

By DIEGO F B G

Mar 25, 2019

Se aprende mucho en cuanto al arte abstracto y su implicación en la sociedad y la forma de transmitir los que se siente y lo que piensa. Muy buen material y metodología del profesor D'Agustine. Me gustaría que pudieran poner el curso en español al menos por los subtítulos. Gracias.

You learn a lot about abstract art and its involvement in society and how to transmit what you feel and what you think. Very good material and methodology of Professor D'Agustine. I would like you to be able to put the course in Spanish at least for the subtitles. Thank you.

By Mary-Jane

Apr 25, 2018

A very well put together course with great practical and theoretical information. I would have liked to see one or two of the women artists included such as Joan Mitchell and Helen Frankenthaler. I know it is difficult to include all the wonderful Abstract Expressionist artists, but my feeling is that it is worth increasing the length of the course to cater for these two artists. Alternatively, offer another Abstract Expressionist course - so have Part I (the current course) and Part II which follows on from Part I.

By Wil A

Nov 23, 2019

great course, learned alot, in general though the online aspect is very confusing when it comes to grades and there seems to be no one to talk to about things... just email and that isn't solving things. still don't know if i will get my certificate and things look wrong in my progress on the computer to what it was supposed to be... no one seems to connect me to someone that can answer questions and fix things... i am really perplexed and will get very upset eventually, but no one seems to take responsibility!

By David D

Jun 3, 2017

So much fun. I only wish I was ready at the time to stretch my own canvas, squeeze the tubes and start painting.

What really made this course was the difference it makes when a painting is described for you. It makes abstract art so much more enjoyable than it would otherwise be - at least for myself. Plus you have to say the 'teacher' was quite skilled in all the various techniques and exceptionally clear in his presentations. Bravo!

By Julie T

Sep 14, 2020

While the course was good, I would have liked to have had some feedback from the instructor on my essay and my art instead of just peer responses. It felt like it was not really a true course without this type of response. I signed up for the course for purely a self interest so it really did not matter. However, if I had wanted the certificate, I would have felt short changed. I did enjoy the videos and the class overall.

By Ethna H

Jun 4, 2020

I have no background in fine art or history of art nor am I an artist. I undertook this course because I have a passion for art and in particular a couple of the Abstract Expressionists. I thoroughly enjoyed the course and found the study format very easy to follow and the additional resources for extended reading very interesting.

Corey you have a great way of imparting knowledge.

Thank you

By Rose N

Oct 25, 2019

Interesting and engaging course content with evidently knowledgeable instructor. Thoroughly enjoyable optional practical exercises. A pity that the peer review of the final 'assessed' submission took a long time and did not provide much useful feedback; as there is obviously not a huge cohort, perhaps the instructor or an assistant would be a more appropriate/useful assessor.

By Colleen K

Jun 8, 2020

Would have enjoyed attending one session on any of the women featured in the book "Ninth Street Women"...Frankenthaler, Mitchell, Elaine deKooning, Krasner, Hartigan, Freilicher, etc. Other than that, great course. I am an amateur collector of abstract expressionist artists and now have a better eye and appreciation for the art.

By John M

Jul 20, 2020

I very much enjoyed this course. I found it very informative, and taught in a way that made learning interesting and enjoyable. I am impressed with Corey D'Augustine's teaching skills. His knowledge of the subject(s) and the way he lays out the information in the videos made his instruction painless and fun. - John Robert Myers

By graciela v

Mar 26, 2023

Excellent tutor, excellent and very comprehensible information, all very accesible. The only down point would be the final essay, would love to have at least an article to review about doing a visual analysis, since we are asked to do something that most of us have never even heard about how it's done.

By Dionne W

Jun 17, 2020

Really loved this course, the studio tasks really challenged me and led me to want to do more. My only annoyance is that I cannot get my grade because there is no other work for me to critique for my final assignment. Shame a flaw in the process holds up the rounding off of this for me.

By Jill B

Jan 23, 2018

Really enjoyed this course, particularly the "In The Studio" content. It has completely changed by view of abstract paintings from 'a child could have done this' to a deep appreciation of the skilled approach and the artist's very deep knowledge and understanding of their chosen medium.

By Kelsie

Jan 18, 2018

A very informative introduction to the methods, techniques, beginnings, and psychology to influential artists within the movement. The readings were succinct and engaging, but never too long. Lots of audiovisual supplementation.

By Anna B

Sep 24, 2024

I didn't like the last part of the course, concerning reviews. Nobody sent reviews. Lost lot of time to finish. The first part very interesting and enriching artistic culture. Thank you

By Thomas P

May 26, 2017

Fantastic course, very well planned and great mix of source material through the Career in Eight Artworks sections to the videos explaining painting technique in the studio.

By Joy S

Sep 11, 2017

This is actually pretty cool. You could, by watching the painting demonstrations, actually reproduce the techniques of the artists studied in the class.