Expressionists Artists and Pictures

Expressionism was a current prevailing in Europe mainly in the visual, literary, and performing arts. It was a reaction against the academic standards of that period, and the main goal of the movement was to express subjective feelings and emotions. The artist's emotional experience is focused, while objective depiction of reality and nature are passed into the background. As a result, the subject is often caricatured, exaggerated and distorted. To achieve the goal Expressionism painters focused on capturing vivid emotions, applied powerful Expressionism colors, dynamic compositions. Although it was considered that there were no such movement as Expressionism, the traces of this style can be found in a number of cultures worldwide. Chinese and Japanese artworks with the essential qualities of the subject emphasized, medieval Europe paintings and sculptures, the works of 17th-century works of the Spanish painter El Greco, the Dutch painter of the late 19th and early 20th centuries Vincent van Gogh, Matthias Grünewald, Paul Gauguin, Edvard Munch can be classified as Expressionists artists.

The current of Expressionism was originated by Expressionism painters Ernst Ludwig Kirchner, Erich Heckel, Karl Schmidt-Rottluff. In 1905 a group in Dresden called «Die Brücke» was organized, later on Emil Nolde, Max Pechstein, Otto Müller joined the group. In 1912 the group along with «Der Blaue Reiter» group exhibited Expressionism pictures. Expressionism influenced a lot of artists (Georges Braque, Spaniard Pablo Picasso, Georges Rouault, French painter Chaïm Soutine, etc.) and gave impetus to the development of another movements Fauves, Die Neue Sachlichkeit (“The New Objectivity”), Abstract Expressionism and many others.

Following World War II, the current evolved into Abstract Expressionism, the representatives of which were Franz Kline, Jackson Pollock, Mark Rothko, Willem de Kooning. The characteristic features of the style are spontaneity, violent colors, bold forms, unrecognizable subjects. In 21th century Expressionism also has appeared in it's new phase. Contemporary artists influenced by one of the major artistic movements of the 20th century create the artworks following the ideas of Expressionism. Today Expressionism goes on to be an international movement, there are painters in all the countries of the world belonging to new Expressionism movement.

The influence of Expressionism is seen in the works of contemporary Ukrainian artists Valeriy Klinkov. His works are selected at his website klinkov.com and every person interested can view and obtain them directly from the artist. The collection contains various pictures and sure one will be able to find something to one's liking.