Slightly tipsy and flushing with excitement, I wandered into eyesight of an Ernst Kirncher painting so vibrant and so full of life, I literally lost my ability to breathe for half a second. His paint strokes bring life to the canvas itself, not necessarily the subjects, and force the viewer into a kind of color shock frenzy. The objects are carved out by an outline of color that seems to cut the figures into flat paper dolls.
Welcome to “The Graphic Impulse”, the MoMA’s latest spectacle of the German Expressionist Artists. Last night, as a newly joined JA Member, I attended my first event: a preview of this exhibition complete with candlelit cocktail bars and Manhattan’s artsy and social crowd. Upon entering the grand atrium of the MoMA, I was completely overwhelmed by the swarms of people, mingling, drinking, talking, and perusing below a large Andy Warhol teal and black Flower print. I was smitten.
We grabbed drinks at the teeming bar, shouldering with a diverse and eclectic crowd, making our way to a large square cushion to rest after a run through the hail – yes, it was hailing in NYC in March. It was superbly unamusing. While a classy looking DJ played a mix of cool jazz and a dim red light cast over us, I let my people watching skills go to work. Spotting a Girl Interrupted character look-alike, a frizzy haired artsy type, and the sharp, socialite types, I let my sidelong stare (a la GG) capture the moment.
Finally, we made our way up to the 6th floor, sans drinks, and began our tour of the vibrant and unique German Expressionist works on display. There was a clear theme of urban experience and a preoccupation with the female, or more specifically, the prostitute. What's more urban than that? I lived near the Place de Clichey in Paris, I get it. The rooms really captured a wide variety of artists: Erich Heckel, August Macke, Oskar Kokoschka, Emil Nolde, and one fabulous Kandinsky. Being partial to Kandinsky, I really stalled in front of the “Picture with an Archer” (much to the annoyance of those faster art goers) and allowed myself to be swept away in the breathing color palette. Kandinsky was part of the Blue Rider group in Munich, which spoke to his popular depiction of horse & rider, which represented a movement beyond realistic representation and into the flurry of the abstract world.
Germany was the epicenter of Expressionism, starting at the beginning of the 20th century, where artists sought the meaning of "being alive" and the emotional experience, ignoring reality. Groups such as Der Blaue Reiter and Die Brücke (meaning Bridge) were influenced by a wide variety of sources including Van Gogh (how can you NOT be influenced by this guy), Munch, and African Art, creating a vast and unique artistic story among the many canvases involved with this movement.
As I perused the selections, some of the works really grabbed me, like an invisible sun pulling me into an orbit of color, emotional angst, and general beauty. A few of my favorites:
Emil Nolde’s “Young Couple” brought out an unspoken tension between the sexes that prickled in the air.
Needless to say, not only did I fall in love all over again with this museum (drinking among the greatest talent tends to produce a euphoric affect), I highly recommend all you city girls make your way, post-brunch of course, and get your cultural fix for the weekend.
