Is there more than one way to interpret a work
of art?
There is no absolute right or wrong way to look at art. Most
masterpieces have the power to evoke a broad range of reactions, and
have kept art historians guessing for centuries. Artists often
communicate things they did not originally contemplate, so their
artworks take on a life of their own separate from what the artist may
have intended. This is where you come in as an informed viewer: the
associations you make with a work of art may uncover a whole new layer
of meaning.
Behind the scenes
There's a lot more to the artistic process than paper, paint, and wood.
When they're creating art, artists put to use their expertise with their
materials, trips to museums, early influences, schooling, and personal
experiences entirely unrelated to art. All of these factors inform
artists' responses to a subject, and make each artist's response
entirely unique. From the infinite number of possible artistic responses
to any one subject, there are at least two distinctive approaches that
have emerged: impressionism and expressionism. Impressionism is a visual
response to the effects of light, while expressionism is an emotional
response that conveys mood and drama. Impressionists are likely to
depict a seascape as patterns of light on water, while expressionists
are more likely to focus on the emotional turbulence of the sea — see
the examples below.
Impressionism: Soothing or scandalous?
During its early years in the 1870s and 1880s, French Impressionism was
considered by critics and the public alike to be a scandalous attempt to
overthrow the established principles of painting. Today, it is by far
the most popular style of art on exhibition in the world's museums, and
is widely appreciated as one of the most calming — rather than
confrontational — art forms.
A lasting impression
Impressionism has changed the way we look at the world around us,
encouraging us to notice the purely visual properties of nature.
Impressionist artists treated with equal importance the light filtering
through the trees and the figure of a woman sitting under the tree. A
surface of a building at sunset might be transformed by an impressionist
artist from a wall of stone to a backdrop for the intensely colored
sunlight that plays across it.
A feast for the senses
If we think about this approach to art as one that emphasizes the
sensory nature of reality over its political, emotional or psychological
content, we can find impressionist attitude in the art of any period,
particularly our own. Consider these impressionist-inspired selections
available from Artsender. Notice in particular how they emphasize the
sensory qualities of the scene, such as the way light plays upon the
various forms within the picture.
Expressionism: Going to extremes
The Expressionist movement gained momentum in Germany during and just
after World War I. It viewed the world through a very different lens
than French Impressionism. Whereas the earlier Impressionists tried to
stay faithful to an optical observation and depiction of nature, the
German Expressionists were more interested in conveying their emotional
and psychological reaction to the world around them. Given that many of
the young German artists who first painted in this style experienced the
horrors of trench warfare, we are not surprised to see that their vision
expresses emotional extremes.
A world of expression
Distortion of form and exaggeration of color
to heighten emotional impact neither originated nor ended in early 20th
century Germany. We can find the same approach throughout history, from
ancient cave paintings to contemporary video. An expressionist statement
that touches on our own situation or world today can serve as a powerful
source of insight into our own emotional and psychological state.
Emotion in the abstract
An understanding of the expressionist approach to art leads us to
Abstract Expressionism, the dominant American art movement in the late
1940s and the 1950s. Although Abstract Expressionism has been in
prominent public view in our museums for more than half a century, it is
still a controversial approach to painting. It boldly challenges the
conventions of painting by abandoning all recognizable forms in favor of
painted gestures that suggest an emotional or psychological state.
Abstract Expressionist works give us room to draw our own conclusions,
and find our own meanings. This can be disconcerting — but if we take
the challenge, it can be a rewarding way to expand our awareness of
ourselves and our world.
Consider these expressionist-inspired selections available from
ArtSender. Notice in particular how they evoke gut-level emotional
responses, whether through dramatic contrasts or sweeping gestures.
Next:
Media — How does an artist decide to work in one medium over another?
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