Neoexpressionism in painting
Neoexpressionism in painting emerged as a reaction against the dominant trends in contemporary art during the late 1970s and early 1980s. This movement, characterized by a return to figurative styles, sought to express the inner emotional experiences of artists, often drawing on themes of memory, raw sexuality, and emotional fervor. Influenced by the works of psychologist Carl Jung, neoexpressionist artists embraced a more primal approach to their creations, contrasting sharply with the more cerebral and impersonal art of previous decades. Prominent figures in this movement included American artists like Julian Schnabel and Jean-Michel Basquiat, as well as European artists such as Francesco Clemente and Georg Baselitz.
Neoexpressionism sought to revitalize painting, which some critics had deemed dead, by reintroducing emotion and personal expression into the artistic process. The movement thrived in the 1980s, thanks in part to aggressive marketing by art dealers, which catapulted many artists to celebrity status. Although it did not endure beyond the 1980s, its impact reshaped the art landscape and opened new avenues for creative expression, influencing many artists who continued to paint into the 21st century.
Neoexpressionism in painting
Art movement
During the 1980’s, a diverse yet bold group of artists sought to move away from the remoteness associated with minimalism and conceptualism and to promote a more aggressive and emotive approach to painting.
The neoexpressionist rebellion against the prevailing trends of contemporary art had its beginnings during the 1960’s, but it did not reach its peak until the late 1970’s and early 1980’s. The artists associated with this movement, such as the supremely self-confident American artist Julian Schnabel and the eclectic Italian artist Francesco Clemente, believed in expressing their inner angst through a more figurative painting style. Art was to be linked closely with the psyche of the individual artist. The neoexpressionist artists were greatly influenced by the works of the groundbreaking psychologistCarl Jung. Attempting to express through art the more primitive of impulses, the neoexpressionists looked to memory, to raw sexuality, and to emotional fervor for inspiration. A childlike enthusiasm for self-expression found its way back into art.
Painting Is Not Dead
The growing avant-garde art scene of the 1960’s and 1970’s had become an extremely reductive and impersonal enterprise. Emotion had become less common as a motivation for the artistic process. Prevailing artistic trends were cerebral and cared little for the act of painting. Art critics and theorists even went so far as to expound that painting was certainly irrelevant and most likely dead. For many European and American artists, however, the thought that painting could be “dead” had the ring of absurdity. For this diverse group of artists, the often messy act of painting was a necessary ingredient in the creative process. It was their belief that painting could be made vital and relevant to the contemporary world. This new attempt to bring back painting was looked upon with disdain by several prominent art authorities of the time. While the artists of this revolutionary new movement did employ wild and seemingly inappropriate color schemes, amateurish drawing techniques, and some bizarre and at times revolting images, they were, thankfully, breathing life back into the artistic process.
Schnabel Becomes a Star
In addition to the American graffiti and neoexpressionist artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, Schnabel became a major force in the art world during the 1980’s. Sadly, Basquiat died in 1988 while still in his twenties. While this was a tragic blow to the art world, the neoexpressionist movement already had established itself as a powerful artistic force by then through the efforts of many other important artists, including the ambitious Schnabel. He had his first solo exhibition in New York City in 1979. As a result of a massive publicity campaign, his show was a spectacular success. The popularity of his large, fiercely energetic paintings led to some negative rumblings in the art community. Not one to be cautious, Schnabel boldly presented his new work with no apologies for its raw and contradictory nature. Always willing to take risks, he helped energize other artists to take risks as well. During the 1980’s, with the help of such prominent art dealers as Mary Boone and Leo Castelli, Schnabel’s reputation as an artist skyrocketed to almost rock-star status. He was more than willing to break established artistic norms. He was not above using such taboo items as velvet in his paintings. Viewing art as a form of “liberation,” Schnabel continued to produce provocative works and to inspire a new generation of artists. He later went on to become a noted director of such films as Basquiat (1996) and Before Night Falls (2000).
Impact
Taking inspiration from earlier art movements such as German expressionism and abstract expressionism, the diverse neoexpressionist artists changed the artistic landscape during the 1980’s. Led by such American artists as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Philip Guston, Susan Rothenberg, David Salle, and Julian Schnabel; by such German artists as Georg Baselitz and Anselm Kiefer; by such British artists as Christopher Le Brun and Paula Rego; and by such Italian artists as Francesco Clemente and Sandro Chia, the neoexpressionist movement rose to dominate the art scene of the 1980’s because of its willingness to break with tradition and to employ more mainstream promotional methods. Art dealers and gallery owners marketed these rebellious artists with a tenacity unrivaled in the art community. While this commercialized approach to salesmanship made many art experts uneasy, it definitely put a bright spotlight on these artists and made several of them almost superstars. Neoexpressionism expanded the creative and commercial options for artists of the 1980’s and beyond.
The movement itself did not survive past the 1980s, but some neoexpressionist artists, including Sigmar Polke, Gerhard Richter, and Eric Fischl, continued to paint into the twenty-first century.
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