zen and the art of Complicité: Expressionism background and pictures

Expressionism background:

Originated in 1901 as “Expressoismes” in Germany at the beginning of the 20^th century.
It can be seen initially in painting and poetry such as the painting of Auguste Herve
It was developed as an avant-garde style before WWI, and remained popular during the Weimar Republic, particularly in Berlin.
After WWII it became a mode of production rather than playwriting
Fully embraced in the 20’s
Was intended to oppose impressionalists, but ultimately it revolts against naturalism and romanticism.
Expressionalists sought to express meaning or emotional experience rather than a physical reality.
There is some speculation about the origins of the term “Expressionism” and one thought is that the term was coined by the Czech art historian Antonin Matejcek in 1910 “An Expressionist wishes, above all, to express himself. . . (an Expressionist rejects) immediate perception and builds on more complex psysic structures. . .”
Some examples of early expressionist painters include: Vincent van Gogh and Edvard Munch.
The leading dramatist is George Kaiser, but Strindberg and Ibsen have made large contributions to the movement
Large influences of Expressionism include Vsevolod Meyerhold’s biomechanics theory of acting (gymnastics, ballet, acrobatics) and Sigmund Freud’s dream analysis.