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Expressionism is art that is more associated
with emotion or feeling that with literal interpretation of a subject.
Expressionistic art uses vivid colors, distortion, two-dimensional subjects
that lack perspective. Its created to express the emotions of the artists as
well as produce an emotional response of the viewer.
I find it to be one of the most interesting forms of art because I
love emotion. I believe emotion should be expressed more regularly and freely.
Here in the United States, often our culture and society teaches us that we
must hold back emotion when in public. These natural physiologically
influenced, expressions of our human nature cannot be held back so sternly and
still be healthy to our person.
One of the most famous expressionists is the Dutch painter Vincent
Van Gogh (1853-1890). His paintings seem to vibrate with
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Starry Night,
by Vincent Van Gogh, 1889 |
emotion. Van Gogh
suffered mental illness and died by his own hand. Could it be that if there had
been fewer stigmas attached to mental illness and better treatment that Van
Gogh would have not committed suicide? I cant help to think that even in this
current time, we do not fully treat human emotion as it should be treated. And
perhaps that leads to mental illness.
When I look at this painting, "The Starry Night", I see a happy,
whimsical child-like expression. I see the moon and the stars and the clouds
vibrating with energy and expressed joyfully through the brush and eye of Van Gogh.
Perhaps if we were more open and honest with our emotions, we
would have less murder and suicide. I am no professional of psychology, but
intuitively I think we have a way to go when it comes to how we express emotion
as a society, and how we treat others who suffer mental illness and profound
emotions. In the United States, stigma is attached to mental illness. I believe
that art should be taught as a therapy for anyone who suffers mental illness.
How many expressionists are actually doing art in order to deal with their
strong emotions? How many are actually a lot more mentally stable *because* of
their artworks? Why is it that United States, Colombia, and the Netherlands and
Ukraine have more mental illness than countries like Nigeria, Shanghai and
Italy? Could it be that countries with fewer cases of mental illness express
emotion in a more appropriate manner? Could it be that here in the United
States, wed be a lot healthier mentally if art was taught in school as a more
serious subject especially when it comes to Expressionism?
Some good reading on Expressionism and emotions:
Expressionism (Taschen Basic Art)
by Norbert Wolf and Uta Grosenick
The Expressionists (World of Art)
by Wolf-Dieter Dube
Vincent Van Gogh: A Self-Portrait in Art and Letters
by H. Anna Suh
The Art of Managing Everyday Conflict:
Understanding Emotions and Power Struggles
by Erik A. Fisher and Steven W. Sharp
Deeper than Reason: Emotion and its Role in Literature, Music, and Art
by Jenefer Robinson
Sources: Wikipedia, Encyclopedia Britannica, Amazon.com
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