Supervision Meeting
Project: AutoAbstraction
Researcher: Gina Dominque Hersey
Academic year: 2025 - 2026
Meeting Participants: Gina Dominque Hersey & Adam Carr
Meeting date: 31 October 2025
Meeting time 09:00 AM EST
Location: Online via Teams
Discussion notes
In early October, I submitted my 2nd Draft Dissertation. Then on October 31st from 9-9:45 AM EST, Adam and I met to discuss it. He expressed being very pleased with the writing. We agreed to work together on an exhibition in the future- he'll curate and I'll exhibit.
Agreed upon action points (to be completed after the meeting)
Adam asked that I review the entire document to distinguish between the hyphens, the em-dashes, and the en-dashes. On Saturday, Nov. 1 and Sunday, Nov. 2, I made many em-dash and en-dash revisions, plus many other minor edits. Then and on Sunday, Nov. 2, 2025 at 5:40 PM EST, for Adam and Robyn's approvals, I submitted my 3rd draft dissertation to eDoc. Here is the abstract:
Dissertation Abstract Gina Dominique Hersey Advisors: Adam Carr and Robyn Ferrell
‘AutoAbstraction: An Autotheoretical Analysis of a Postfeminist Painter’s Praxis’ considers my creative practice-based PhD research project, which includes 70 or so works made between 2021 and 2025; several artist interviews; a U.S.-based solo exhibition, an accompanying visiting artist residency and public talk, plus two British-based group shows and accompanying public talks, as well as a written thesis.
As I reflected in a 2022 interview, “For me, painting is a sort of psychic or psychological reclamation process.” It is this retrieval of self, space, and voice that frames ‘AutoAbstraction.’ For my thesis praxis, I offer a portfolio of 21st-century abstract paintings shaped by intuition and somatic experience. Working with canvas, linen, cradled board, and paper I explore diverse abstract painting techniques––automatism, gesturalism and abstracted graffiti-like mark making. My palettes are inspired by my own body’s colorations––my olive complexion, brown eye and hair colors.
Philosophically, my research grounds itself in phenomenology and feminist aesthetics. And art methodologically, I rely on autotheory, which is rooted in 20th century feminist traditions. Autotheory is defined as the weaving together of philosophy, autobiography, feminist, and queer theories using a synthesized scholarly-memoiristic approach. It was popularized in the 20-teens by Paul B. Preciado and Maggie Nelson. Recently it was expanded by Lauren Fournier. I use autotheory to discuss and analyze the heart of the thesis, which contains a selection of 20 praxis paintings juxtaposed with images of 20 works by historically significant painters who have influenced my career trajectory. First feminist art historian Linda Nochlin’s scholarship, and Laurie Schneider Adams’s art methodological approaches have, since the 1990s, all significantly influenced my thinking and work.
Finally, my research project contributes to the evolving discourse of 21st century abstract painting. It arrives as the story of abstraction’s origins is being retold. That is, abstraction is no longer regarded as the masculinist invention of W. Kandinsky, K. Malevich, and P. Mondrian, but is recognized as having been originated by a group of earlier 20th century female painters including, H. af Klint of The Five. Her legacy invites a regendering of abstraction, positioning it as the first feminist-queer painting genre. The thesis is centered around a discussion of my creative practice and findings as seen within this unfolding narrative.
