1. Abstraction in Painting

2. How do you define painting ? What are some of the choices artists make when they create works of art? How might an artist represent an idea or emotion in paint, without showing a specific subject?

3. Lets take a close look… Barnett Newman. Vir Heroicus Sublimis. 1950-51 What words would you use to describe this painting? What stylistic choices did the artist made in terms of color, composition, and subject?

4. The English translation of the title is, "Man, heroic and sublime. Barnett Newman. Vir Heroicus Sublimis. 1950-51 How does the title relate to what you see? How might the paintings large scale relate to the title?

5. Alberto Giacometti, Standing Woman, 1948. How is viewing an artwork for the first time like meeting a new person? Do you think its possible to reduce a human figure to abstract lines, shapes, and colors? Barnett Newman. Vir Heroicus Sublimis. 1950-51

6. How did Newman translate his ideas into paint? Does Vir Heroicus Sublimis change how you think about painting? How does this work change your perception of paint as a tool for expressing ideas and emotions?