new expressionism
C1Formal, Academic, Art Criticism
Definition
Meaning
A late 20th-century art movement reviving and reinterpreting the emotional intensity, bold colors, and gestural brushwork of early 20th-century German Expressionism.
A term used in various arts (painting, music, theatre) to describe a revival of expressive, subjective, and often raw or intense styles, rejecting the cool detachment of minimalism and conceptual art. It can also be applied metaphorically to any cultural output emphasizing raw emotion and personal vision.
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
Primarily an art-historical term. When used outside visual arts, it is often metaphorical. The 'new' distinguishes it from the historical movement (c. 1905-1925).
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant lexical differences. The term is used identically in art discourse.
Connotations
Slightly more associated with the German and American (Neo-Expressionism) scenes in UK discourse, while US discourse may emphasize its New York origins.
Frequency
Equally low-frequency in both dialects, confined to specialized artistic and cultural commentary.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
[New Expressionism] + [verb: emerged, flourished, declined][Artist] + [is/was] + [associated with/linked to] + [New Expressionism][Painting] + [exemplifies] + [New Expressionism]Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[Not idiomatic for this term]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Virtually unused, except perhaps in marketing for art auctions or galleries.
Academic
Primary context. Used in art history, criticism, and cultural studies papers.
Everyday
Extremely rare. Would only be used in conversation by those with an interest in modern art.
Technical
Specific to art history and criticism. Used precisely to denote the late 1970s/80s movement.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [Not applicable as a verb]
American English
- [Not applicable as a verb]
adverb
British English
- [Not standardly used as an adverb]
American English
- [Not standardly used as an adverb]
adjective
British English
- Her new-expressionist canvases caused a stir at the Royal Academy.
- The gallery is hosting a new-expressionist retrospective.
American English
- His new-expressionist style is heavily influenced by Basquiat.
- The museum acquired a major new-expressionist work from the 1980s.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- [Too complex for A2]
- New Expressionism was a popular art style in the 1980s.
- The paintings use bright colours and strong feelings.
- After the intellectualism of conceptual art, New Expressionism brought raw emotion and figurative painting back to the forefront.
- Artists like Julian Schnabel and Anselm Kiefer are key figures associated with New Expressionism.
- The critical reception of New Expressionism was deeply divided, with some hailing its return to painterly passion and others dismissing it as a market-driven regression.
- Scholars often debate whether New Expressionism was a genuine avant-garde movement or a postmodern recycling of historical styles.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think 'NEW' feelings: a NEW art movement that expresses strong, raw emotions like the old Expressionists did.
Conceptual Metaphor
ART IS A SCREAM / ART IS A RAW WOUND (emphasizing unfiltered emotional output).
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct calque 'новый экспрессионизм' without context, as it's a specific term. In Russian art discourse, 'неоэкспрессионизм' is the standard equivalent.
- Do not confuse with general 'expressionism' (экспрессионизм), which refers to the early 20th-century movement.
Common Mistakes
- Using it to describe any emotional art, rather than the specific historical movement.
- Confusing it with Abstract Expressionism (a different, earlier, primarily American movement).
- Capitalization: 'New Expressionism' is often capitalized when referring to the movement.
Practice
Quiz
What is the primary artistic quality that New Expressionism revived?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
In most art historical writing, they are used synonymously to refer to the international movement of the late 1970s and 1980s. 'Neo-Expressionism' is perhaps slightly more common.
It emerged concurrently in several countries in the late 1970s, with significant centres in Germany (as 'Neue Wilden'), Italy (Transavanguardia), the United States, and the United Kingdom.
It was a reaction against the dominant minimalist and conceptual art of the 1960s and 70s, which were often seen as overly intellectual, cool, and detached from craft and personal emotion.
Yes, metaphorically. Critics might describe a musician's raw, intense performance or a filmmaker's visually aggressive style as 'new-expressionist,' implying a similar rejection of restraint and embrace of subjective intensity.