EXPRESSIONISM (c. Early 20th Century)

by Jo Colley 05:40 0 comments

Originating in Germany, Expressionism is a vital component of modern art. It focuses on the subjective matter rather than the objective, with heavy emphasis on emotion and personal perspective. Mostly known for the art it produced during the early 20th Century, it also provided music, film, architecture and literature that conformed to a similar, subjective subject matter. Such ideas were considered to be adverse to the highly esteemed German academic art of the period - inspiring splinter groups such as Die Brucke and Der Blaue Reiter.

Before the turnabout of the First World War, Expressionism was the product of the German avant-garde contribution to European art. Known for it's twisted abstraction of reality in order to promote an idea or emotion - looking at the context rather than the physical qualities portrayed prior to this art movement. Much of the influence for Expressionism came from the customs of the Symbolism art movement and the often shocking demonstration of emotion in art shown by Vincent Van Gogh and Edvard Munch, famous for The Scream, one of the most famously terror filled paintings that depicted the artists personal thoughts and feelings at a traumatic time. However, it's not to be forgotten the influence that African art had on the nature of the painting's aesthetic and primitive qualities.

In 1905, a group of artists from Dresden, in Pre-War Germany formed the Expressionist group Die Brucke consisting of artists Fritz Bleyl (1880-1966), Erich Heckel (1883-1970), Karl Schmidt-Rottluff (1884-1976), Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) and later artists such as Emil Nolde in 1910. These artists were dissatisfied by previous themes and subject matters portrayed by art movements and looked into surrounding themselves with a working class neighbourhood. They operated with a collective style of vivid colours, similar themes and scenes of angst and tension before disbanding in 1913, a year before World War I.

Der Blaue Reiter, or, The Blue Riders were another group of artists running parallel to Die Brucke from the year of 1911 in Munich, Germany. Formed from artists Franz Marc, August Macke, Wassilly Kandinsky and others, this group was less tightly based with varying approaches and ideas, but looked to explore the 'spiritual truth' throughout their paintings. The techniques Der Blaue Reiter stood for, however, were linked - the connection between art and music, the importance of spontaneity and spirit along with a meaningful use of shape and colour with a symbolic context. Much in line with modern art ideas, they had a focus that likened them to primitivism which led to the cubist movement, often portrayed through simple street scenes and figurative art. The collective eventually disbanded after three years in 1914, when some artists migrated such as Kandinsky moving back to Russia and others were later conscripted and later died in combat including Franz Marc and August Macke. However, the influence of Der Blaue Reiter had more resonance and influence than it's counterpart, finding it's place in the future of the Bauhaus in the 1920's thanks to Kandinsky and Feininger.

Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was a Russian born artist that closely encapsulated the ideas of expressionism, providing years of work that contributed to the art movement. His works from the early 20th Century are directly relative to the idea that art and music are intertwined, that sound and rhythm can be portrayed through painting - better known as synesthesia. He was known for his attachment of colour to particular feelings and sounds. Once explaining, "Colour is a means of exerting direct influence on the soul." With influences such as Vincent Van Gogh and Henri Matisse due to their own use of colours.

"Composition VII" by Wasilly Kandinsky (1866-1944), painted in 1913 using Oil on Canvas, 300 cm x 200 cm

The image above, Composition VII is an example of how Kandinsky would channel his understanding of the relationship between colour and sound and feeling into an artwork of abstract shapes and tones to an almost unintelligible degree. He described his concept as, "Red may cause a sensation analogous to that cased by the flame, because red is the colour of the flame. A warm red will prove exciting, another shade of red will cause pain and disgust through association with running blood...colour awakens a corresponding physical reaction." This relays the importance of every shade and tone, the title of "Composition" indicates it's close link the Kandinsky's visualization of music.

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (1880-1938) was a well known painter and printmaker in Germany from the Expressionist period as part of the Die Brucke movement, his work can be noted as featuring these working class areas that similar artists immersed themselves in. His artworks often taking on the slight abstraction of Expressionist themes such as figurative painting and street scenes, documented in his "Berlin Street Scenes". His works are highly influential to modern art despite his paintings being considered as "degenerate art" by Nazi Germany in 1933, leading to 600 of his works being destroyed before his eventual suicide in 1937.

"Berlin Street Scene" by Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, painted from 1913 - 1916 using Oil on Canvas.

These Berlin Street Scenes give us an insight into the daily life of people in Germany before the outbreak of World War One. Kirchner uses deep colours and abstraction of these figures for a distortion and emotional effect on the audience. With sharp lines and a curvilinear perspective, our view of Berlin at this time has been distorted, something Kirchner wished to achieve.

Entartete Kunst or Degenerate Art is the name given to the art that was rejected and destroyed by Nazi Germany in the 1930's. This process saw the banning of previously well known German Expressionist artists in favour of more Neo-Classical styles. Die Brucke and Der Blaue Reiter artists were all inclusive in this ban. While Germany was limiting the art scene, Modern art was seen as a symbol of freedom, where many of these artists were accepted as refugees to the United States.

Furthermore, in 1937, The Nazi government held an exhibition of this so-called Degenerate Art with 600 of Kirchner's works being destroyed along with 700 of Erich Heckel's own. This was replaced by art that was supported and endorsed by the Nazi Party to the Germanic people with an ingrained Apollonian theme that developed into World War II propaganda style.

"Water Sports" by Albert Janesch, painted in 1936 using Oil on Canvas. 

The style of painting above shows a reactionary, but ultimately rare regression in Modern Art. No longer were artists attempting at this point to achieve abstraction, to provoke controversial and thought provoking meanings to expose the truth to the audience. This was art with purpose and agenda. As a form of Nazi propaganda, it can demonstrate a history lesson. Germanic people were considered to be Apollonian and idealistic with Aryan features, light complexions, strong physique and hard workers, a turnabout from the art of the Expressionist progressives.

 Conclusively, the art of the Expressionist era came to a very abrupt end - with very little volume of surviving works. While many of the artworks remain simply as photographs as a result of Nazi Germany's destruction. The contribution of many of the artists from groups of Expressionists such as Die Brucke and Der Blaue Reiter have had a profound influence on the shaping of 20th Century modern art and the way in which we visualise modern painting concepts.