This one is more Emil Nolde inspired than Kollwitz inspired. But like Kollwitz, Nolde is associated with Art Nouveau and German Expression.
Archives for posts with tag: German Expressionism
I realised I should probably post about my summer project. Our brief was to explore “what has gone before”. Now when you type the history of illustration into Google, what comes up is pretty vague and useless. Perfect excuse to buy some illustration books off amazon. The book that I found most helpful was “Illustration, a visual history” by Heller & Chwast Abrams. As it containes the main illustrative movements and styles. Which was really helpful for me as I didn’t really know a lot about the history of illustration, and I didn’t want to pick my favourite illustrator, Mike Mignola. I wanted to go further back, see if I could trace some of my favourite styles back to their origins. I also really love history, if I hadn’t got into DJCAD, I would be in second year at Stirling studying history and religion. So the first half of my project sketchbook is just written research and pictures exploring the history of illustration. I eventually settled on the work of the German Expressionists, specifically Kathe Kollwitz. This period of German history is an era that fascinates me. I studied Germany’s inter-war years for my Advanced Higher and wrote my dissertation on it as well. So finding Kathe Kollwitz, was amazing, a woman who lived and worked pre WW1 to the end of WW2. Her work is so refreshing and simple to me, as well as her story. She drew the reality of war and the inter – war years in Germany, something which isn’t really discussed. She was a woman beyond her time, and so were her parents, when she told her father she was getting married he feared it would ruin her artistic career. It didn’t, in a way her career flourished when she and her husband, a doctor, moved to Berlin. She really cared about the war torn impoverished families who visited her husbands clinic. Her political and moral sensibility probably had a lot to do with this, but also the fact that she herself was no stranger to sorrow, as she lost her son in WW1. Her opinion towards war changed greatly from this moment onwards. In December 1943 she wrote in her diary:
“Every war already carries within it the war which will answer it. Every war is answered by a new war until everything is smashed … that is why I am so wholeheartedly for a radical end to this madness and why my only hope is in a world Socialism, Pacifism simply is not a matter of calm looking on, it is work, hard work.”
Kathe Kollwitz was a pretty amazing lady. I find her work so inspiring, its expressive but its not fake. Its real and gritty. I admire her bravery.
Links and References :
Here is a link to the Kathe Kollwitz Museum website : http://www.kaethe-kollwitz.de/museum-en.htm (accessed 24.9.2013.)
Heller, S. Chwast, S. (2008) Illustration: A Visual History. New York. Abrams.
Kollwitz, K. (1955) The Diary and Letters of Kathe Kollwitz. Henry Regnery.
robynglendinning 