Expressionism

Expressionism encompasses the art movement that existed from 1905 to 1925. Expressionism is characterized by distortion and exaggeration in order to create an emotional effect. Expressionism first appeared in the art literature of the 20th century, and with regards to art, the expressionist style utilizes intense color, disjointed spaces, and agitated brushstrokes. It is interesting to note that the expressionist movement not only included fine arts, but also dance, movies, literature, and theater. Expressionist artists do not attempt to convey realities, rather they attempt to portray subjective emotions and responses to objects and environment. Expressionism is different from impressionism in that it does not try to reproduce the impression of the surrounding world; instead, expressionism allows the artist to impose personal representations of the world in connection to personal emotions. Expressionism is not so much concerned with representing accurate forms and harmony, but rather it strives to achieve the highest expression intensity through the use of exaggeration, distortion, primitivism, and fantasy - often incorporating elements of violence and vividness. Expressionism arose first in Germany around 1910 and some of the major artists influencing the movement included Cezanne, Gauguin, Van Gogh and the fauvism period. Some of the most famous artists of the Expressionism movement include Otto Dix, Max Beckmann, Alfred Kubin, Kandinsky, Franz Marc, Edvard Munch, and Marc Chagall.

Expressionism Articles