Expressionist Black and White Photography
EXPRESSIONIST STYLE
While “expressionist” is used to describe any art that avoids naturalism and instead employs a bold use of flattened forms and intense brushwork, Expressionist art formally describes early-20th-century work from Europe that drew on Symbolism and confronted issues such as urbanization and capitalism. Expressionist artists experimented in paintings and prints with skewed perspectives, abstraction and unconventional, bright colors to portray how isolating and anxious the world felt rather than how it appeared.
Between 1905 and 1920, Austrian and German artists, in particular, were inspired by Postimpressionists such as Paul Gauguin and Vincent van Gogh in their efforts to strive for a new authenticity in their work. In its geometric patterns and decorative details, Expressionist art was also marked by eclectic sources like German and Russian folk art as well as tribal art from Africa and Oceania, which the movement’s practitioners witnessed at museums and world’s fairs.
Groups of artists came together to share and promote the themes now associated with Expressionism, such as Die Brücke (The Bridge) in Dresden, which included Erich Heckel, Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Karl Schmidt-Rottluff and investigated alienation and the dissolution of society in vivid color. In Munich, Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider), a group led by Wassily Kandinsky and Franz Marc, instilled Expressionism with a search for spiritual truths. In his iconic painting The Scream, prolific Norwegian painter Edvard Munch conveyed emotional turmoil through his depiction of environmental elements, such as the threatening sky.
Expressionism shifted around the outbreak of World War I, with artists using more elements of the grotesque in reaction to the escalation of unrest and violence. Printmaking was especially popular, as it allowed artists to widely disseminate works that grappled with social and political issues amid this time of upheaval. Although the art movement ended with the rise of Nazi Germany, where Expressionist creators were labeled “degenerate,” the radical ideas of these artists would influence Neo-Expressionism that emerged in the late 1970s with painters like Jean-Michel Basquiat and Francesco Clemente.
Find a collection of authentic Expressionist paintings, sculptures, prints and more art on 1stDibs.
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Style: Expressionist
Gold Dust
Located in East Hampton, NY
Black & White Photography
Gold Dust
Printed to Order
Unframed
Also available in 20"x30"
The area that would become Gold Point, one of Nevada’s best ghost towns, was first settled ...
Category
2010s Expressionist Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
The Only Other Thing
By James Mannix
Located in East Hampton, NY
Palm Springs , California
Photography
Edition of 10
UNFRAMED:
Print to Order
About the Artist:
Short Biography in a Nutshell: A fun journey
My first foray into the art world was ...
Category
2010s Expressionist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
Strength - NYC Architecture Photography, 36"x52", Signed Limited Edition of 5
By Viet Chu
Located in New York, NY
" I wanted to find a symbol of strength and resiliency for NYC and through the framing of the Empire State Building by the Manhattan Bridge, and I believe it is represented here.
The...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Black and White Photography
Materials
Archival Pigment
The Dance of Zlatio Zlatev, Original Silver Gelatin Photograph, Bulgaria 1989
By Jacko Vassilev
Located in Saint Augustine, FL
Artist: Jacko Vassilev, Bulgarian ( born 1951 - )
Title: The Dance of Zlatio Zlatev, Ex Pilot
Medium: Original Silver Gelatin Print
Edition: 19/50
Year: 1989
Story behind the photograph:
The photograph seen above was taken of Zlatio Zlatev who had served for Bulgaria’s King Boris III as his top pilot. When the Communists took the power in Bulgaria, he was offered to work for the new government as a bomber pilot. He refused to work for the new regime and was stamped as an "anticommunist element".
Due to his refusal Zlatio was sent to forced labor political camp where he spent nearly 15 years and fell victim to the totalitarian side of communism. During that time in Bulgaria there were over 50 political camps where they claimed, "The Brain of the Nation was destroyed"!
When Bulgaria become free state from Communism in 1989 a National Celebration was held in the political camp honoring all the people who lost their lives there and granted the survivors as National Heroes! On that day Jacko Vassilev was privileged to witness the celebration of Zlatio and this photograph was HIS DANCE OF FREEDOM!!!!
After the dance, Jacko walked to him and wanted to share his deep emotions of capturing this special moments and told him: "Zlatio, your hands are likes a wings in the air."
And he answered: "My wings..... They broke them, but not the Spirit"!
Artist Bio:
I was born in communist Bulgaria. As a boy, I had dreamed of freedom and a simple life. In my late twenties I put my dreams to the test and attempted to escape the Bulgarian regime. I tried to pass the barbed wire fences guarded by border patrols, but I was caught, beaten and tossed into a slave labor camp. Instead of building up hate, the harsh conditions in the camp built my strength. I learned how to survive. My body suffered, but my mind became clearer. My photography was my artistic expression of the world around me however the communist dictatorship considered it anti-communist propaganda and I had to keep my treasures hidden underground. After the communist regime fell, I traveled around Europe and accomplished my dream of becoming a published photographer in Paris and later moved to the USA.
The willingness to confront even the most difficult obstacle in life strongly informs my work to this day. There is a thread of optimism that connects the people I’ve portrayed, even when they are shown in the most vulnerable moments. There is no difference between myself and them, they are photographers of life, and I am the countryman...
Category
1980s Expressionist Black and White Photography
Materials
Silver Gelatin
"Model in black & white" Photography on canvas
Located in Carmel, CA
Malissa - "Model in black & white" Photography on canvas
The photograph comes with a certificate of authenticity and a letter of appraisal.
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Black and White Photography
Materials
Canvas, Photographic Film, Black and White
Sound of the Sea
By Harold Davis
Located in Boston, MA
Artist Commentary:
Using an x-ray photograph as its basis, this expressive study in motion echoes work by Picasso and other modernists.
Words that describe this piece: shell, Nauti...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Expressionist Black and White Photography
Materials
Photographic Paper
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Solo Exhibitions
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Mona Kuhn: The Schindler House, A Love Affair, Galerie XII, Los Angeles
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Mona Kuhn: Kings Road, Galerie XII, Paris, France
Mona Kuhn: Kings Road, Kunsthaus-Göttingen, Germany
Mona Kuhn: Kings Road, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta
2022
Mona Kuhn: 835 Kings Road, Art, Design & Architecture Museum, Santa Barbara
2021
Mona Kuhn: Works, Galerie XII, Paris
Mona Kuhn: Works, Edwynn Houk Gallery, New York
Mona Kuhn: Works, Flowers Gallery, London
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Mona Kuhn: 835 Kings Road, Art, Design and Architecture Museum, Santa Barbara
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Mona Kuhn: The First Chapter, Euqinom Projects, San Francisco, California
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Mona Kuhn: New Works, Galerie Catherine Hug, Paris, France
Acido Dorado, Galeria Pilar Serra, Madrid, Spain
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Private, Ravestijn Gallery, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
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Bordeaux, Flowers Gallery, New York
Native, Brancolini Grimaldi, Florence, Italy
2011
Bordeaux, Flowers Gallery, London, UK
2010
Native, Flowers Gallery, London, UK
Native, Flowers Gallery, New York
2009
Native, M+B Gallery, Los Angeles, California
Native, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia
2008
Evidence, Jarach Gallery, Venice, Italy
2007
Evidence, Scott Nichols Gallery, San Francisco, California
Evidence, Charles Cowles Gallery, New York
Mona Kuhn, Estiarte Gallery, Madrid, Spain
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Less Than Innocent, M+B Gallery, Los Angeles, California
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Mona Kuhn – Recent Color Work, Charles Cowles Gallery, New York
Mona Kuhn-Close, Jackson Fine Art, Atlanta, Georgia
Unbounded Youth, Fahey/Klein Gallery, Los Angeles, California
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Expressionist black and white photography for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a wide variety of authentic Expressionist black and white photography available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Gerard Giliberti, James Mannix, Viet Chu, and Harold Davis. Frequently made by artists working with Archival Pigment Print, and Pigment Print and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Expressionist black and white photography, so small editions measuring 3.94 inches across are also available. Prices for black and white photography made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $300 and tops out at $6,000, while the average work sells for $600.