THE BODY III – 20TH CENTURY DISTORTIONS
German Expressionism was a movement that arose during the first couple of decades of
the 20th century. It was often associated with extreme emotional states. Expressionist
artists were concerned with creating their own form of reality, rather than the
naturalism we saw with Realism and Impressionism. (The term ‘expressionist’ is also used
in a broader sense, to refer to any artwork which deals with strong emotional states.)
Take 5 minutes and make
some notes about this work. Try
writing a sentence each for:
Structural frame;
Subjective frame;
Cultural frame.
Kathe Kollwitz, (German
1867-1945), Woman with
dead child, etching, 42 x
48cm, 1903
Kathe Kollwitz, German 1867-1945,
Death seizing a woman, 1934,
lithograph, 51 x 37 cm
Kathe Kollwitz, German 1867-1945,
Uprising, 1899, etching, drypoint, aquatint,
brush etching, sandpaper.
This was a time in Europe where there were several wars (especially World War I) and
much suffering. Many images were created as social or political comments. Various
printmaking techniques were very popular with the German Expressionists.
Woodblock cuts, or woodcuts had a long tradition in art. (Like our lino cuts, it is possible
to get very interesting images from simple lines.) The Expressionists used this simplicity,
along with dramatic tonal variations, to express an emotional honesty in their work.
Prints could be easily reproduced in newspapers or magazines, or many copies of a print
made. Etching (using acid to eat lines into the plate, then adding ink) and lithography
(printing off a limestone block) was also popular.
Otto Dix (Germany 1891 – 1969) Der
Krieg, (The War), Plate 6 of 50,
1924, etching & aquatint
20 x 29cm
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VRwWJyy24So
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G-PFEbQ5UGc
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUXDltQfqSA
Dix stated, 'War reduces mankind to
the state of beasts, with its hunger,
vermin, mud and insane noises'. Dix
created a lot of images which showed
the horrors of war.
Three more images from
Otto Dix’s 1924 series The War;
all etchings, all similar sizes
(approx 20 x 30cm or so.)
Expressionism wasn’t all death and War: but it was generally concerned with subjectivity
and emotional states. As with all other art Movements though, there was a variety in how
artists represented their world.
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (German,1880 - 1938)
Self-portrait with model, 1910, 150 x 100 cm
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner (German,1880 - 1938)
Standing nude (caryatid), painted wood, 1909-10,
Primitivism was a feature of the late 19th /early 20th century. This was European art
that was influenced by tribal art – masks, sculptures, shields etc. This tribal art
came from indigenous peoples of countries that had been colonised by France or
England. The tribal objects were brought back to Europe and exhibited. Like
Japanese art, this tribal art was enormously influential on many artists. It was
thought to be more authentic; honest. It also had a spiritual significance and
power (which the Europeans didn’t understand, but recognised.)
Pablo Picasso (Spanish, 1881–1973) Les
Demoiselles D’Avignon (The Young
Ladies of Avignon) 1907, oil on canvas,
244 x 234 cm. This painting truly shocked
people. When Picasso first showed it to
friends and colllectors, many
didn’t like it and thought he had lost the
plot. It stayed un-exhibited till 1916, and
it was many more years before it was
recognised as a significant step in the
journey of Western art. How could we
describe this work?
EXAMINING THE EXAM
From this week onwards, we’ll start looking at HSC questions from past papers.
This is to help you get familiar with the way the Board of Studies writes
instructions (called rubric), the way they phrase the questions; etc.
Please don’t worry about the actual questions in the Paper I hand out today. The
aim is to simply show you what an Exam Paper looks like, and how it’s set out.
You will slowly get the hang of how to answer these types of questions. You will
improve with practice.  That’s why we’re starting NOW to give you plenty of
time. If you attend classes; pay attention; attempt to answer questions and
contribute in class, you will be fine in the Final Exam. (If you don’t, it will get
ugly.)
The figure in art has not only been used
simply as a body. It can also be also used to
help represent a world. A body can be a
symbol of humanity generally; or of an
emotion or an idea.
Q 1: How does Lewis Hine’s photograph,
Steamfitter, 1920 represent social
attitudes to progress?
Note: This is an example of a Question 1.
You would have 10 minutes to answer it,
and it would be worth 5 marks.
Lewis Hine, 1874 –1940, USA, Steamfitter, 1920. Gelatin silver print, 24.2 cm ×17.8 cm.