An 'Expressionist' refers to an artist, writer, or composer who seeks to represent the emotional experience of the world, rather than objective reality. This is often achieved through distortion, exaggeration, fantasy, and the use of vivid, often jarring colors and forms. Expressionism, as a movement, flourished primarily in the early 20th century, particularly in Germany, and was a reaction against the perceived superficiality of Impressionism and the social injustices of the time. Its goal was to express the artist's inner feelings and anxieties, often depicting themes of alienation, angst, and the complexities of the human condition. This emphasis on subjective experience distinguished Expressionism across various art forms.
Expressionist meaning with examples
- Kandinsky, a pivotal Expressionist painter, employed abstract forms and vibrant colors to convey spiritual and emotional states. His works, unlike those of Impressionists, didn't aim to realistically capture a scene but to transmit an inner feeling. The use of non-representational art, like his 'Composition VII', aimed to engage with the viewer on a deeply emotional level.
- The Expressionist plays of playwrights like Georg Büchner, explored themes of societal decay and individual isolation through heightened dialogue and dramatic symbolism. Characters were often driven by extreme emotions, creating a sense of psychological intensity that sought to shock and disturb the audience, reflecting the anxieties of the era.
- Expressionist cinema, exemplified by films like 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari', utilized distorted sets, dramatic lighting, and exaggerated acting styles to portray a world of nightmares and psychological unease. These stylistic choices created a mood of paranoia, directly mirroring the characters' subjective experience of fear and uncertainty.
- In music, Expressionism manifested through the atonal compositions of Arnold Schoenberg and his students. The use of dissonance and unconventional harmonies aimed to capture the raw and often unsettling emotions of the human experience. This departure from traditional music forms reflected the breakdown of societal norms and the search for new modes of expression.
Expressionist Synonyms
abstract affective distorted emotional exaggerated intense subjectivist symbolicExpressionist Antonyms
impartial literal naturalist objective realist representationalExpressionist Crossword Answers
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EXPRESSIONISTIC