Lesson 2: Towards Symbolism in Art (PDF)

TOWARDS SYMBOLISM LESSON 2 https://www.edvardmunch.org/the-scream.jsp  Learning Objectives: 1. distinguish stylistic tendencies of Expressionism, New Objectivism, and Surrealism and analyze the elements...

TOWARDS SYMBOLISM LESSON 2 https://www.edvardmunch.org/the-scream.jsp  Learning Objectives: 1. distinguish stylistic tendencies of Expressionism, New Objectivism, and Surrealism and analyze the elements and principles of art that give these characteristics 2. identify renowned artists associated with Expressionism, New Objectivism, and Surrealism 3. explore how ideas inform artistic creations by creating a project Symbolism was a modernist movement that emerged in the early 20th century. The term was used initially in poetry and painting. The poet Charles Baudelaire, in his poem, “Correspondences” writes: Man passes through this forest of symbols.” Several artistic styles are associated with symbolism since it is more of a creative strategy than a singular style. The movement was considered by the art historian Robert Williams as absolute art because of artist's refusal to be confined to the limits of the natural world. ROBERT WILLIAMS ART HISTORIAN  Instead of copying nature, the artist must rely on his imagination and render the world subjectively. An artist may also respond to the world by expressing emotions and ideas that arise from his or her intuition.  Among the styles subsumed under the symbolist movement, this lesson only covers Expressionism, New Objectivism, and Surrealism. EXPRESSIONISM AND NEW OBJECTIVISM One of the artistic styles that leaned towards symbolism is Expressionism.  EDVARD MUNCH Edvard Munch made a painting called The Scream (Norweigan, Skirk) in 1893. Using oil, tempera, pastel, and crayon, Munch depicted an agonized expression of a human-like figure.  The figure appears distorted and the scream is set against a backdrop of orange skies. Munch called this painting by its German title, translated as The Scream of Nature. It became iconic of Expressionism in Europe. The style called Expressionism emerged in Germany at the beginning of the 20th century, used by an obscure writer describing a work. Artists described as Expressionists are known for distorting shapes and using unnatural colors to make the representation of the world entirely subjective. Figures appear unnatural and thus evoke emotions and moods. Expressionists sought to express emotional states than document reality. Expressionism was considered cutting edge or avant-garde before the first World War. The Weimar Republic ruled during this time and the center of power was in Berlin. The Expressionist artist puts emphasis on individual perspective. This way of looking at the world has been characterized as a reaction to the preference for empirical truth and objectivity. There were several significant artist groups under this movement whose works were characterized by distinct stylistic traits. Among these groups included Die Bruce or The Bridge, founded by Ludwig Kirchner in 1905. Franz Marc, Paul Klee, and Auguste Macke organized a group in 1911 and called themselves The Blue Rider or Der Blaue Reiter. The name was taken after a title of a painting by Wassily Kandinsky.  Max Beckmann (1884-1950) was a German painter, draftsman, printmaker, sculptor, and writer. In the 1920s, he was associated with the Expressionists although he referred to his works as New Objectivity (Neue Sachlichkeit). The Weimar republic recognized Beckmann. He received several accolades and launched exhibitions. His works were well received in museums in Berlin and other German cultural centers. However, Adolf Hitler rose to power. The Nazi government led by Hitler dismissed Beckmann from the Frankfurt Art School. He was only one of the artists and intellectuals humiliated by the Nazi. The government took more than 500 of his works from museums in Germany. The Hitler and the Nazis sponsored an exhibition called "Entartete Kunst" or the Degenerate Exhibition in Munich. Beckmann, along with other artists sought refuge in other countries. Beckmann went on exile in Amsterdam and the rest went to the United States. Beckmann's work, entitled Die Nacht (1918- 19) show the terror of one night. Three men have invaded a small house. The man of the household was hung and tortured by the intruders. His arm was violently twisted. The woman of the house was bound to one of the posts of the room after having been violated.  TheNight Beckmann https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Night_%28Beckmann%29 A child on the right is about to be forcibly taken by the intruders. Note the distorted shapes and unrealistic somber colors used in the scene. 'The painting lacks spatial depth. Instead, angular lines and rectilinear shapes fill up the scene. Flashes of red interrupt and disrupt the unity of forms to elicit horror. Other artists associated with the Neue Sachlichkeit included Otto Dix who critiqued Weimar society and the brutalities of the wars in Europe through his paintings. Otto Dix was also included in the Degenerate Exhibit and humiliated by the Fuhrer Hitler and the Nazi Germans. SURREALISM The word "surrealist" was used by a playwright named Guillaume Apollinaire, He wrote a preface to his 1903 play performed in 1917. His scenic backdrops and set designs were considered dream-like and irrational. It is from the use of this term that artists converged around a movement called Surrealism. Note that after the first World War, artists who Auorished in Paris were scattered elsewhere in Europe and America. In the field of the sciences and academic circles, Sigmund Freud's theory of the unconsious gained momentum. Andre Breton, a writer who worked in a neurological hospital, observed the experiments on soldier suffering from post- traumatic stress from the war. He became one of the leading figures of Surrealism and published an essay in 1928. Salvador Dali painted The Persistence of Memory, a barren landscape with distorted shapes that appear like melting clocks. The painting alludes to the tentativeness of memory and the elusiveness of rationality. Giorgio de Chirico was one of the artists allied with the Surrealists. La Rouge or The Red Tower shows a dream- like barren landscape with a massive tower arising out of nowhere. There are no human ûgures in the scene. The quiet and barren vastness appear desolate and the tower appears mysterious. INFLUENCES IN THE PHILIPPINE CONTEXT  In the Philippine context, the Crucifixion series of National Artist, Ang Kiukok, underscores pain and suffering. In his paintings, the corpus of Christ and the cross are often distorted and the figures unnaturally colored.  ANG KIUKOK Crucifixion series of National Artist  Onib Olmedo's paintings of protest against social inequities often show distorted human figures. The stylistic characteristics of their works are similar to those of the Expressionists. These artists were associated with the Neorealist movement in the Philippines. The movement does not prefer a single style but is a broad term used for artists exploring new ways of figuration. Their works were initially seen in a series of exhibitions hosted by the Philippine Art Gallery in the 1960s. Meanwhile, some of the painters who have deployed surrealist imagery in their works include Charlie Co, Rishab Tibon, Mariano Ching, and many more. It must be noted however that Filipino artists do not associate themselves with European Expressionism and Surrealism.  The approaches to figuration and manipulation of artistic media introduced in Europe and America have been transmitted through the art education system as well as books on art. Filipino artists borrow only some of these approaches and transform them locally.