Artistic Currents - Expressionism

(1905-1945)
Originating in Germany, Expressionism encompasses all art in which the artist is free to move beyond the limitations of objective subject matter and to concentrate on the feeling and impact derived from the artist's inspiration. Expressionist sought to reveal inner, spiritual and emotional foundations of human existence, rather than the external, surface appearances depicted by the Impressionists. The Expressionist movement took inspiration from Symbolism, Fauvism, and Cubism in its departure from accurate subject matter. Expressionism found its roots in two groups of German painters, Die Bruecke and Der Blaue Reiter.


Die Bruecke, meaning "the Bridge" was centered in Dresden and included artists Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, Otto Mueller, and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. The group held formation from 1905 to 1913. The group set up their studios in a working-class neighborhood on the edge of Dresden’s boundaries. Their isolation led to their shared stylistic and thematic development. Die Brucke's art was typically violent and emotional in its imagery. They favored themes that explored the relationship difference between city and country. Finding some of their inspiration from the art of tribal cultures in Africa and the South Seas, Die Brucke favored distorted lines and enhanced forms, vibrant color, and flattened perspective. They rejected conventional gallery procedures and organized a series of traveling exhibitions in order to present their work to the public. The group fell apart due to artistic differences and the onset of World War I. Following their break up, the group's successors called themselves the Dresdner Sezession.


The other German Expressionist group, Der Blaue Reiter, meaning The Blue Rider, began in Munich in 1911 and lasted until 1913. Der Blaue Reiter took its name from a painting by Kandinsky title "Le cavalier bleu." The group was united more by their common goal of portraying spirituality rather than stylistic similarities. Der Blaue Reiter opened the doors fro abstraction because of its ideas of experimentation and originality. Artists involved were Franz Marc, August Macke, Gabriele Munter, Wassily Kandinsky, Paul Klee, and Alexei Yavlensky among others.

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