Painting and Performance

Twenty years since the publication of Gustavo Fares’ influential essay ‘Painting in the Expanded Field’, the definition of what might constitute a painting has undergone significant developments. At periods throughout the 20th century painting expanded and contracted as a means of repositioning itself against a rich variety of new media entering artistic practice and discourse. High Modernism, technological advances and painting’s multiple identity crises led to a partial marginalisation of painting’s perceived ability to respond to the world in which we live. Painting was seen at times, by some, as almost antiquated and, at worst, indulgent.

However, in recent years, there has been a significant return to stretching the definition of painting through the central role it appears to play in many contemporary artistic practices. Arguably, the various degrees of ‘Painting in the Expanded Field’ could be seen as a point of return by many artists to address painting’s inherent ‘porousness’ and ways in which it can reimagine alterative worlds, reflect political events and social issues in novel ways.

Join us for this one day symposium with presentations from 12 artists and writers exploring the artistic, historical, theoretical and societal contexts and debates that underlie ‘Painting in the Expanded Field’ in all its various guises.

Keynotes: Dr. Sarah Kate Wilson and Prof. Craig Staff

Presentation from: Fiona Stirling, Dr. Donal Moloney, Prof. Andrew Bick, Mark O’Kelly, John Slyce, Prof. Alistair Payne, Dr. Cate Smith, Dr. Majella Clancy, Dr. Susan Connolly and Rose Davey.