Expressionism

A comprehensive new overview of expressionism, tracing its evolution from the nineteenth century to the present day.

Expressionist artists believed in the art object's ability to communicate emotion, irrespective of any representational or narrative content. In this comprehensive introduction to one of the most radical artistic movements of our time, writer, artist, curator, and educator Colin Rhodes traces the thread of expressionist thought from the nineteenth century to the present day. He maps its various manifestations across Europe and the USA, as well as parts of Africa, Asia, and South America.

By paying particular attention to nuanced issues of gender, sexuality, and cultural appropriation, Rhodes challenges the received art-historical narrative and reassesses it in the context of broader twentieth and twenty-first century artistic practice. Generously illustrated, the diverse selection of artists featured in Expressionism range from Wassily Kandinsky, Erma Bossi, Francis Bacon, and Mark Rothko to Ursula Schultze-Bluhm, Gillian Ayres, Purvis Young, and Jadé Fadojutimi.