My teacher Robin Alert in one of my tutorials, on my first academic year, he analysed some of my paintings, and he told me that my technique of using strong brushstrokes and bright colours, can be regarded as a characteristic of German Expressionism.
So, I have been searching on the subject and found certain characteristics of German Expressionism, and also I did some research on one of artist of this movement, which was Ernst Ludwig Kirchner which will be described below.
Expressionism is a general style of painting. It encompasses most of the genres, notably landscape painting (including townscapes) and portrait art (including caricature). Typically, an expressionist painter has aim to show how feel about a chosen subject. Thus, for instance, shapes drawn, colours used, thickness and texture of paint applied, as well as the type of brushstrokes used, will be chosen so as to best convey the painter’s attitude to the object or scene represented.
The precise characteristics of an expressionist work vary wildly, according to the attitude of the painter. Where strong feelings are involved, an artist may resort to quite an unrealistic distortion, or even semi-abstract forms while colour may be especially bold or garish. Other less incendiary feelings may be conveyed in a more subtle fashion, using symbolism or ironical juxtapositions. In contrast to this, Impressionism – itself an extreme version of naturalism – is all about optical truth: namely, the capture of a particular visual moment in time, exactly how it appears. The expressionist artist, however, has no interest in recording visual truth: he is simply interested in expressing his feelings and emotions in the paint.
Displeasure with the traditional conception of reality as represented by Impressionism was what characterized this new rebellious generation. These modernists were aware that the depiction of outer appearances comprises only one aspect of reality, and cannot penetrate to the essence of things.
They had realized that both the most painstaking analysis of what they observed, and the depictions of mental processes were inadequate to express complete being.
My acrylic painting on canvas
