The Scream, 1893, Edvard Munch
Of all the techniques of the early modern era expressionism captures me like no other painting style of that era. For me it is about after this time period that art starts to lose its soul, and spirituality. For me expressionism along with the many forms of abstract art marks one of last eras of the truly enlightened artist. I love expressionism for its vivid colors and loose forms, that seems to echo the state of the human mind and embody the attitude of the world at this time. The technique is unrestricted and inventive, and although most of the painting are without stories or messages of morality there is a certain wild emotional element that transcends order and dives into mayhem. I do appreciate Edvard’s representation of Expressionism because of the emotion I feel from the paintings which are the epitome of Expressionism.
Death in the Sickroom, 1895, Edvard Munch
I relate expressionist abstract techniques directly to a radically changing world that is in the mist of confusion and chaos. Prior to WWI and world was a different place. WWI changed the nature of war itself. Before war was honorable and personal. Limited weaponry caused the fighter to be face to face. War was quick and relatively desiveive, with obvious winners and losers. WWI changed all that. As referred to in the lesson plan technological advancements created and atmosphere of tension and “anxiety”. Now war was impersonal, and prolonged. Because of the long ranged weaponry trench warfare was created, and battle was stalemated. New inventions such as mustard gas ensured slow painful deaths, and long ranged weapons ensured that one might never see an opponent, only the blasted remains after an attack. The war was now total war, it involved the entire population. Millions died were a century before it might only have been thousands. In short WWI changed the human psyche and created situations never experienced before and raised questions never asked. How did a country deal with the deaths of so only of its young people? Where the nations they fought really human or some savage race that needed to be demolished ( as displayed in the propoganda that was created against the germans). Given that art is a reflection of it’s time, expressionism is a result of world change. In the past art was structured and outlined, because life for the most part was such. Of course there was turmoil in the past, but people accepted life as it was. There were explanations and expectations. WWI destroyed the explanations and expectations of the world. For example the term beaverments and post-tramatic stress didn’t even exist until after WWI ,not that it’s didn’t exist as a state, but the war was so massive it required the creation of new terminology to describe the effects of the war. Expressionism’s continued evolution is a reflection of that.
I really enjoyed your insight into expressionism and WWI. The Scream by Edward Munch is also one of my all time favorite paintings. Your views on how art was affected by WWI really helped me connect to art from that period. I would have liked to have read more specifically how the pieces you chose were directly affected by the war, but I can sense the pain and anguish of both pieces that reflect the feeling of the time. Great job!