The Art Story was my introduction to the expressionism movement. I learned about its origin, key ideas behind the movement, and some of the artists who inspired the movement. What was also very useful was the three examples of some of the most famous expressionism artwork. I’ll be using this as background and base my three paintings off their examples.
Expressionism was a movement that emerged in Germany during the early 20th century. It began as a defiant response to the conventional artistic Impressionist technique, where the depiction of reality was an objective one. Expressionist artists sought out to portray the world through a subjective reality, where their work depicted an emotional experience rather than the mere impression of one. They accomplished this through distortion and exaggeration of objects and events. The arrival of Expressionism announced new standards in the creation and judgment of art; “Art was now meant to come forth from within the artist, rather than from a depiction of the external visual world,” meaning the emotion within the artist was the most important material needed for their piece (The Art Story). As time progressed so did expressionism. Around the late 1940s, another movement called abstract expressionism emerged in New York. Within abstract expressionism were two broad groups: the action painters, who struck their canvases with powerful brush strokes; and the color field painters who were monochromatic painters. The abstract expressionists derived not only from expressionism but surrealism as well. Influenced by the emotion, “Abstract Expressionist painters rejected representational forms, seeking an art that communicated on a monumental scale the artist’s inner state in a universal visual language” (Khan). Following abstract expressionism came neo-expressionism during the late 1970s. This movement also rejected the standard composition and design and communicated a sense of inner disturbance, tension, and alienation. It was characterized as having expressive brush strokes, highly textured painting with paint built up on the canvas’s surface, and intense colors and most importantly always being focused on the controversial. Each of these movements gave many artists the freedom to express their reactions and emotions and allowed them to present the world from a subjective perspective enabling them to further create styles in which they can be more inventive and abrupt toward social injustices.
One of the many artists who was influenced by the expressionist movement was the abstract expressionist painter, Merton D. Simpson. In 1965 he created U.S.A. ’65, a piece in which he used newspapers that negatively portrayed African Americans and incorporated them into his work. The reason that I chose Simpson’s piece was due to his dark and monstrous faces. As an abstract expressionist, your emotions regarding a particular subject must be the main attraction and as for Simpson’s U.S.A. ’65, his emotions regarding the subject are very clear. Not just in the sense of his colors but his overall message of struggle and turmoil shines in his piece.
Faith Ringgold is another abstract expressionist painter who documented social discrimination. In her piece American People Series #20: Die we can see different races and both genders trying to kill each other, however, we can see that she dressed everyone the same. In doing so she shows the viewer, “an abstraction about what the fights were really all about… fighting to retain their position in society,” everyone is dressed equally to show they are all on the same level but there will also always be people who won’t let that happen. Through this style of art, Ringgold was able to speak up and tell the viewer a story and not be limited by anything (MoMA). This not only shows the reader what she physically sees but how she felt as she watches undocumented riots like these happen. American People Series #20: Die is a perfect example of the influence abstract expressionism can have on social movements.
The last artist is Neo-expressionist, Romare Bearden. In his college called The Dove Romare uses various pictures from magazines, newspapers, and photographs to create something, unlike the previous two artworks. His use of all these elements are arranged in a way that the viewer’s eye is constantly on the move, jumping from light areas to dark areas and from pattern to pattern. In a time when society was divided Romare found a way to use his art to bring people together, figuratively and by literally placing people he found from different parts of the word in his artwork. At first glance, it may not seem as though it flows as well as the other paintings but that’s the beauty of Neo-expressionism, it wasn’t meant to follow conventional standards even within the expressionist movement.
Expressionism was a way for artists to convey more than a simple impression of a subject. This movement challenged them to dig deep within themselves and express their emotions, which in its self can be one of the hardest things to do. Expressionism provided artists with the tools they needed to speak up about social issues and along with their distorted images, helped evoke emotions and ideas within others.
Bibliography
Topic Question: How did Expressionism influence artists during Social Movements?
Thesis Statement: The Expressionist movement allowed artists to present the world from a subjective perspective enabling them to further create styles that allowed them to be more inventive and abrupt toward social injustices.
ARTIST: Merton D. Simpson
TILE: U.S.A ’65
DATE: 1965
MUSEUM: Brooklyn Museum
ARTIST: Faith Ringgold
TITLE: American People Series #20: Die
DATE: 1967
MUSEUM: MoMA
ARTIST: Romare Bearden
TITLE: The Dove
DATE: 1971
MUSEUM: MoMA
These five brilliant pieces of artwork all have one thing in common; they are all part of the expressionism movement. In each painting, there is a unique perspective being shown using styles like abstract expressionism or neo-expressionism. Breaking away from accepted conventions, artists were able to distort the world in a radical way for emotional effect. Looking at paintings like “U.S.A ’65” and “Emergency Room” not only shows us what the artist thought of society at the time but it also makes us reflect as to where society might be heading if we continue down a path of discrimination.
Over time the word Humanism has managed to evolve into a relatively broad term. The various branches of humanism can vary from a literary to a cultural, to even a philosophical sense. Regardless, they each share the perspective that affirms some notion of human freedom and progress. Humanists believe that this intellectual movement highlights the power and value of human beings; holding humans solely responsible for the development of individuals by emphasizing concern for man in relation to the world. Meaning man must figure out their path using their intelligence rather than relying on divine or supernatural matters. As a result, most have used that forward-thinking to transcribe and artistically portray the humanistic perspective.
Today we have the opportunity to observe how humanism inspired the art in Greek and Roman culture. With sculptures like the Discobolus and the Doryphoros, we are able to see how the Greeks implemented their humanistic perspective into their artwork. The Greeks and Romans emphasized naturalism, anatomy, nudity, and movement as the progressive development of humanism. The human body was more than intelligence to them, the physicality of it was”divine” and something that should be glorified. The sculpture of Polykleitos, Doryphoros, is a perfect example of how the Greeks and Romans believed the human body should be artistically portrayed. It showed the athletic capability of humans and their beauty. They thought bodies should be celebrated for their beauty and no longer regarded as something sinful. Their sculptures were more about the human experience than paying tribute to their gods.
However, before Polykleitos’s great Doryphoros, humanism wasn’t always a popular opinion. In places like ancient Mesopotamia and ancient Egypt, the art was never meant to be seen by people other than the afterlife for when they needed them. Much of the surviving Mesopotamian and Egyptian art that we see today captures their religious beliefs, specifically, divine pharaohs and gods. The artistic portrayals of these deities statues were often quite stiff, straight up, and featured implementations of animal figures on the human body. Unlike the Greeks and the Romans, the ancient Egyptians, and ancient Mesopotamians weren’t as connected with the perspective of humanism. They didn’t expose the human body as the Greeks did because to them nudity was more of an embarrassment than a sign of power. Instead, they viewed humans as servants and protectors to the gods. Take the Lamassu sculpture, for example, a creature who served to protect the gods; is a celestial being from the ancient Mesopotamian religion bearing the body (and therefore strength) of a bull, but the head (and therefore intelligence) of a human. This sculpture is a perfect example that the artwork during this time didn’t scream human empowerment as it did for religious purposes.
Seeing the Soul of a Nation exhibit for the first time at the Brooklyn Museum was such an inspiring experience. It was remarkable to see how artists like Merton D. Simpson used the power of art to stand up to the injustices that were happening in America at the time. One of the reasons that I chose Simpson’s piece, U.S.A. ’65 was because it was so dark and monstrous compared to everything else. Not just in the sense of his colors but his overall message of struggle and turmoil shines in his piece. I think his choice in using these dark colors help further his message, his grays and blacks help to distinguish the faces in his painting. Simpson also does a brilliant job of using his space and materials to his advantage, making his piece stand out from everyone else’s. He uses specific newspaper articles and pictures and places them in very specific places. He doesn’t let the articles take away from the main focus, being the emotion portrayed by the faces. I think another important aspect of Simpson’s painting is his use of the color white. He uses just enough so the viewer can make out the faces and be able to see the newspaper articles but doesn’t let it stand out more than the darker colors. Even though Simpson’s aesthetic approach to the issue was different than the rest of the exhibit it was still used to usher in the new political and cultural movement: Black Power.
Walking into the Ancient Egyptian section of the Brooklyn Museum I was immediately fascinated by the numerous artifacts on display. It was really interesting to see that the artifacts varied from tombs to scriptures to the actual pottery they used. As I walked around the exhibit I found myself drawn to the Statue of Metjetji. I noticed that it was one of the few “human” sculptures in the entire exhibit and its representation of life development was very well depicted by the figures body structure and their traditional painted jewelry. When looking at the Statue of Metjetji one of the first things that captures your attention is the beaded skirt. Compared to all of the other colors painted on the statues, the color white still appears to have a stronger intensity. Then you have the pleaded part of the skirt that gives it some texture along with the colored beaded strands on the other side of the skirt, both going in a vertical direction creating a balance. As you look up at his chest the the colors become more desaturated but still manage to grab your attention by the use of lines and patterns. Once you reach their faces you can see there are differences between the two statues, specifically the eyes. In the Statue that’s supposed to represent an older man, the eyes are bigger and painted white. I think this is to show the wisdom and maturity compared to the other one. I think what makes the Statue of Metjetji unique is that it does a great job using color, lines, and texture to show the development of life.
Unit One of Art 1010 consisted of learning about the famous philosopher, Paulo Freire, and his book Pedagogy of the Oppressed. Specifically focusing on the concept of the baking model, which is a metaphorical take on our education system. In this unit, we also familiarized ourselves with the concept of formal analysis. We learned to look beyond the artwork and try to understand what the artist wanted to convey visually by analyzing certain characteristics of the piece and decisions made by the artist.
Both of these concepts go hand in hand when learning about art history or art in general. The banking model stresses that students should be able to have the freedom to think creatively, and in an art class, it’s essential for a student to use all of their creative energy to better understand a piece of artwork. Freire explains the issue regarding our current education system by saying that teachers act as narrators and deposit information into students, while students act as depositories, memorizing the information that is given to them. Through this teaching method there is very little room for any student to think outside of the box and if they do their thoughts and ideas are considered wrong. Freire goes on to explain that, “knowledge is a gift bestowed by those who consider themselves knowledgeable upon those whom they consider to know nothing” (Freire 72). In a classroom, there should be mutual respect between a teacher and the student in the sense of the knowledge they both bring about the subject. I think what is special in an art classroom specifically is that students’ have complete freedom when creating their own interpretations, and it won’t be considered “wrong.”
Following the banking model, we moved into the territory of formal analysis. During this topic, we learned to look beyond the artwork and a simple description and focus on what the artist wanted to convey visually by analyzing specific characteristics. Elements such as scale, color, line, light, composition, and texture help the viewer’s eye move through the artwork giving them an engaging visual experience. In Titian, Venus of Urbino 1538, one of the paintings we analyzed during class, we talked about how the lines move our eyes from one end of the painting to the other. We start on the nude body of the woman, which is meant to be the center of attention and make our way to the floor or the middle-ground. The diagonal lines of the floor lead us to the background or the window. Another important element in the painting is its colors and the way the artist uses them to portray what is most significant in the painting. The value of the colors in the foreground are brighter than the rest of the painting to show that the woman lying on the bed is the main subject. The texture in the painting helps give a visual sense of how an object depicted would feel in real life and in the case of the Titian, Venus of Urbino 1538 the artist uses the texture of the green velvet fabric to separate the foreground from the background. By using formal analysis, we have the opportunity to look closely at the artwork and try to understand the meaning behind it.
When looking at works of art it can be easy to focus on the subject’s iconography rather than its form; however, in a compelling work of art, it’s important to analyze elements such as; scale, color, line, light, composition, and texture, together these elements establish a set of criteria for evaluation, known as formal analysis. Using this form of visual description allows the viewer to ask questions about the artists’ decisions in their piece. Why did they arrange the subjects the way they did? How do the colors interact with one another? Why does the light illuminate this specific subject and not the others? Did they mean to use a pattern of angles throughout the piece? Of course, no interpretation is correct as to what the artist wants us to get from the artwork, but, important to take a second and think critically about every aspect of the piece to fully appreciate it. By using formal analysis, we have the opportunity to look closely at the artwork and try to understand the meaning behind every stroke. In a sense, the purest formal analysis is limited to what the viewer sees and how the eye is led through an artwork to create an engaging visual experience.
Have you ever sat in a classroom lecture and were so confused by the material being presented to you, that you questioned why you had to be learning it in the first place?
Personally, I can say that I’ve been there. There’s nothing worse than feeling like the slowest person in the room and feeling like it’s your fault for not comprehending what’s being taught. It’s become an expectation that as students we need to memorize and simply accept everything being taught to us from the moment we step into a classroom. Our current methods of education don’t include a negotiation between an educator and a student as to what they will be learning or how they will be learning it. It’s naturally just assumed that the educator has created a well thought out lesson plan that will accommodate every student. As a result, our education system has slowly morphed into what is known as the “Banking model of education.”
This concept was established by Paulo Freire an educator and philosopher who believed teachers act as narrators and deposit information into students, while the students act as depositories, memorizing the information that is being given to them. He accuses this model to be creatively constricting to students by increasing their lack of critical thinking and therefore, never allowing the effect of the material to reach its full potential. As a student, I can say that I’ve been on the receiving end of the banking model. Throughout my life, I’ve had teachers teach not for the sake of having us learn, but for our performance on standardized tests. The curriculum was heavily shaped to make students appear as if they understood the material by teaching in a way that satisfied the exams. Ultimately, I performed well on most of my exams but unfortunately much of the material I “learned” was quickly forgotten.
Art is all around us. Whether it’s in newspapers, magazines, books, music, buildings; art is essential in the society we live in. Art is something I’m passionate about. Living in New York, I grew up surrounded by art and I’ve come to love and appreciate all different types of it. I started drawing at a young age, I’ve since then realized how powerful a weapon creativity can be. I believe everyone has the right to express themselves the way they feel like. When I draw I know there is no limit on how I want to express myself. Drawing is my way of showing the world who I am and what I’m capable of. I’ve always asked myself the question: who am I as an artist and is there anything about me that makes me different. The answer is yes. I see things in a unique perspective and it influences my inspiration for my artwork. I continue to work until my muse has used up every last bit of creative energy in my body. My drawings interpret my perspective and shed light on other different viewpoints. As a thriving artist, I want to continue to learn and be exposed to new forms of art. I hope to one-day change society’s’ mindset of how art is perceived and influenced.
