https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic What time period are we talking about? What were the big political forces of the time? What were the big social forces of the time? Who was Kirchner? Who was Kollwitz? Who was Kandinsky? en-us 2016-02-24 00:27:10 UTC 2018-04-11 00:18:42 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-assets.storage.googleapis.com/portrait/crane_yellow.png https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/97170597 Ernst Ludwig Kirchner was an expressionist painter and printmaker who was part of the Die Brucke (the Bridge) group. He painted human figures in movement and handled paint in a way that was a "powerful reaction against the Impressionism that was dominant." He felt that humanity was disconnected because of industrialization but also valued traditions such as woodblock painting. He was labelled a degenerate artist by the Nazis and committed suicide in 1938]]> 2016-02-25 01:37:54 UTC https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/97170597 https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/98656072 Hitler wanted to create a society cleansed of the 'Modern Imagination.' Once Hitler and the Nazis came to power they began attacking expressionist artists (who were now seen as criminals).
Hitler favoured the more classical styles of art which followed established rules and techniques. 
Hitler also believed that the only true art was that which imitated the natural world. Expressionist art would've been seen by him as wrong because it was an expression of the artists own views, experiences and beliefs (often influenced by experiences in the war). 
Their work also promoted new ideas from the 'modern imagination' which would've promoted free thinking which Hitler was trying to rule out in his 'New Germany.'
This resulting in Hitlers 'vow to eliminate them.'


]]> 2016-03-03 01:55:16 UTC https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/98656072 philippamallins https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/98910924 Excellent Gabby, you have clearly discussed Hitler's views and the Expressionist's aims. This is getting to the heart of the 'big question'.
So the next question is, why did the Nazi's find expressionism to be such a significant threat? (Even in the likes of Nolde who was a signed up Nazi party member)]]> 2016-03-03 20:55:01 UTC https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/98910924 https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/99248649 "Art was a vehicle for getting back in touch with the parts of the self that were repressed for the sake of propriety. To many, this type of art was dangerous and threatening." 
"Hitler opposed what he saw as the infiltration of “foreign” and “elitist” ideas in German art and culture. While many of the German artists involved in the Expressionist movement conceived of their art as being very German (artists such as Emil Nolde), Adolf Hitler saw such art as foreign and degenerate." 
" It was something that threatened not only the purity of German culture, but also its very stability and existence."
http://works.bepress.com/ann_taylor/16/

Often these artists painted unacceptable subject matter, such as non-Aryan people. At the time, the Nazis were spreading beliefs about the inferiority of different groups in society, and the way expressionists portrayed these groups could have impacted their campaign. Expressionists portrayed the horrors of war and created pieces of art that referenced politics and showed the impacts of the political leaders (Hitler and the Nazis) on Germany and its people. Hitler and the Nazis wanted German citizens to fight for their cause, and the expressionist paintings could have changed public opinion. Expressionist painters also "depicted what was considered ignoble, unutterable, and base in mankind" when they drew inspiration from the primitive and painted people who were not tied down by societal restrictions. Hitler, who was focused on eliminating any class or group of people he considered inferior, opposed this. ]]> 2016-03-06 20:11:25 UTC https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/99248649 philippamallins https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/100076386 Your guess is on the money, Maria. Expressionism questioned much of modern German life. It rejected many Nazi values (the classical, military might, realism ... ). In its'  'grotestesque' lurid style it represented a dangerous madness to the Nazi's. It went against their ideal of a healthy Arayan mind and body. Let's not forget that the Nazi party understood the power of the visual image. They has a minister of propaganda (Goebbels.)

Given that the Expressionists were so anti-war, who can tell me what Hitler's thoughts were about war? (In Art or life?)]]> 2016-03-09 21:17:34 UTC https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/100076386 philippamallins https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/250521109 The early modernist period can be thought of as a time of change and contrasting ideologies. There as a conflict between an emerging nationalism and artistic philosophical values of universalism, utopianism spiritual values,]]> 2018-04-11 00:10:31 UTC https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/250521109 walv3210 https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/250521166 During the time of early expressionism (pre and post ww1) Germany had not been an unified country for very long at all. Up until 1871, the area that became Germany (or the Weimar Republic) was just a group of cities and towns that all shared the German language. Therefore the advent of the creation of Germany obviously spawned doubts among those who saw the unification into one country - or nationalism- as a bad thing. Being unified under one country did not necessarily agree with some people as there were very starkly contrasting political beliefs among those in the Weimar Republic. ]]> 2018-04-11 00:10:56 UTC https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/250521166 walv3210 https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/250521851 Wassily Kandinsky was an abstract painter born 1866 in Moscow, Russia. Kandinsky was key in forming the expressionist group 'Der Blaue Reiter'. Kandinsky's work mainly focused on the spiritual use of colour, and creating harmonious compositions that expressed the spiritual values of the colours and used specific colours to represent and express emotion.]]> 2018-04-11 00:15:04 UTC https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/250521851 https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/250522001 Kollwitz was a significant expressionist artist for the way she valued creating social critique, which was fitting in the period as Germany (especially the working class) faced extensive issues in the post war environment. Unlike other expressionists she did not portray these ideas using bold and bright colours and abstract forms but rather manipulated simple, black and white work to amplify the viewers emotional response. ]]> 2018-04-11 00:15:44 UTC https://padlet.com/philippamallins/EMbigpic/wish/250522001