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Art Concept: Art as Reaction and Expression. Artists often make things to express how they feel about something. Sometimes they draw what music “looks” like or what it looks like to feel happy or scared or angry or peaceful. Many times these pictures don’t have to have “objects” in them. Artists may use shapes or colors or patterns to express these ideas.
Expressionism: as an artist movement, started in the early 1900’s in Germany. These artists wanted to paint about emotions like anger, anxiety or peacefulness and meaning instead of reality. Each artist would have their own way of seeing and portraying emotions; often distorting or exaggerating figures or scenes. Artists like Vincent VanGogh had been doing the same thing however, it wasn’t until this time that the movement gained a name. Expressionism uses simplified designs and brilliant colors to express a definite or strong mood or feeling.
The Scream, Edvard Munch
This painting shows a man standing on a bridge. His hands are on his face and he is screaming. The sky behind him is red and swirling. The picture expresses the emotion of a person alone in their anguish and anxiety. Munch made four versions of this picture. One of them sold for over $119 million in 2012.
Starry Night, Vincent Van Gogh
The Boy, Amedeo Modigliani
Composition 8, Wassily Kandinsky
Composition VII, Wassily Kandinsky
Street Dresden, Erns Ludwig Kichner
Happy Yellow Cow, Franz Marc
Fate of the Animals, Franz Marc
Composition with Red, Yellow and Blue, Piet Mondrian
Dance (Jazz), Henri Matisse
Madame Matisse, Henri Matisse
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