A resurgence of interest in Expressionism, Pop art, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and other movements gained steam among artists of the 1970s and ’80s, in part as a reaction to the austerity of the prevailing minimalism and Conceptual art of the era. A decadent, bold and brash art style called Neo-Expressionism saw painters returning to figural representation, creating highly textured works that were imbued with intensely personal narratives.
Neo-Expressionist paintings are sensuous in nature and highly subjective in meaning. Expressive brushwork, highly pigmented colors and layered forms and materials lent sculptural attributes to the work and were used to depict symbolic narratives from history, mythology and the artist’s personal experience.
Prominent figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat led the Neo-Expressionist movement in the United States with paintings and prints that were raw, emotional and often violent in nature. In Germany, Die Neuen Wilden (the “New Fauves”) was the name given to a group of postwar artists that included the likes of sculptor Georg Baselitz and Gerhard Richter, a painter and photographer who explored the possibilities of both abstraction and realism, sometimes in a single piece. The work of the New Fauves — labeled as such for its return to Fauvism’s textured brushwork and use of vibrant colors — shares commonalities with Neo-Expressionism, and Baselitz was a pioneer of the movement in Europe. In addition, Willem de Kooning’s pulsating action paintings and Julian Schnabel’s experimentation with the materiality of paintings also took shape during this period.
“I was trying to make paintings different from the paintings that I saw a lot of at the time, which were mostly minimal, and they were highbrow and alienating, and I wanted to make very direct paintings that most people would feel the emotion behind when they saw them,” said Basquiat.
Neo-Expressionism generated some polarizing opinions, with some celebrating the revival of personal subjectivity in art while others criticizing the movement for being too commercially driven and nostalgic. But most experts agree that Neo-Expressionism was a huge commercial success and culturally impactful, paving the way for the postmodern work of artists like Richter and Sigmar Polke.
Find original Neo-Expressionist paintings, prints, mixed-media works and other art on 1stDibs.
Street Spirits: Fitting In - Abstract Expressionist Figurative Table Sculpture
By Soren Grau
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from cultural icons and global events, Soren Grau's street art-infused Neo-expressionism invites art enthusiasts to be a part of a narrative larger than life. In ...
Concrete
Expressionist Torso I by Yann Guillon - Nude bronze sculpture, male torso
By Yann Guillon
Located in Paris, FR
Expressionist torso I (Torse expressionniste I) is a sculpture by French contemporary artist Yann Guillon. Dimensions: 13.8 × 9.4 × 5.1 in / 35 × 24 × 13 cm. Total height of the scul...
Bronze
Posing
Located in Zofingen, AG
This striking sculpture presents an elegant and elongated figure of a ballerina, exuding both grace and strength. Crafted with meticulous detail, the figure showcases an alluring con...
Bronze
$9,500
Philippe Cognee Carved Painting Expressionist Wood Relief Sculpture African Art
Located in Surfside, FL
Roughly hewn and painted, carved wooden sculpture. Hand signed and dated. Provenance Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, (accompanied with copy of original invoice dated 1986.) This was from his show Out of Africa. Expressionist paintings and carved reliefs at the Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago His first one-man exhibition in the United States, the show featured multidimensional and multi-media work with influences from Africa and nature. Philippe Cognée...
Wood, Oil
Street Spirits: Street Ready - Abstract Expressionist Figurative Sculpture
By Soren Grau
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Drawing inspiration from cultural icons and global events, Soren Grau's street art-infused Neo-expressionism invites art enthusiasts to be a part of a narrative larger than life. In ...
Concrete
Angel with Heart, Bronze Sculpture by Sandro Chia
By Sandro Chia
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Sandro Chia (Italian, b. 1946) Title: Angel with Heart (large) Year: circa 1980 Edition: 2/6 Medium: Bronze, signature and numbering inscribed Size: 29 x 14 x 7 in. (73.66 ...
Bronze
Standing Figure
By Tom Cramer 1
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Tom Cramer (b.1960). Standing Figure, 1988. Carved wood and polymer paint. Measures 11.5 inches high. Excellent condition. Signed and dated under base. Tom Cramer is an American artist working in Portland, Oregon noted for his intricately carved and painted wood reliefs and ubiquity throughout the city of Portland. Often called the unofficial Artist Laureate of Portland,[2] Cramer is one of the most visible and successful artists in the city. The influences on his work are both organic and technological. He is widely collected and is in many prominent west coast museum and private collections. He is in the permanent collections of the Portland Art Museum[3] in Portland Oregon, the Halle Ford Museum in Salem Oregon, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Eugene, Oregon, the Boise Art Museum in Idaho. Cramer made a name for himself in the 1980s and 1990s becoming a bridge between historical Oregon artists like Clifford Gleason and Milton Wilson...
Wood, Latex
Standing Figure
By Tom Cramer 1
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Tom Cramer (b.1960). Standing Figure, 1980. Carved wood and polymer paint. Measures 11.5 inches high. Excellent condition. Signed and dated under base. Tom Cramer is an American artist working in Portland, Oregon noted for his intricately carved and painted wood reliefs and ubiquity throughout the city of Portland. Often called the unofficial Artist Laureate of Portland,[2] Cramer is one of the most visible and successful artists in the city. The influences on his work are both organic and technological. He is widely collected and is in many prominent west coast museum and private collections. He is in the permanent collections of the Portland Art Museum[3] in Portland Oregon, the Halle Ford Museum in Salem Oregon, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Eugene, Oregon, the Boise Art Museum in Idaho. Cramer made a name for himself in the 1980s and 1990s becoming a bridge between historical Oregon artists like Clifford Gleason and Milton Wilson...
Wood, Latex
Crouched Woman Resin Sculpture, Neo-Expressionist, 1980s, Unframed
Located in CORAL GABLES - MIAMI, FL
Duquesa de Alba. Resin sculpture measures with base 20x20x38 cm Lluís Llongueras represents the disagreement that corresponds directly to the personality of the artist, always versat...
Resin
Standing Figure
By Tom Cramer 1
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Tom Cramer (b.1960). Standing Figure, 1998. Carved wood and polymer paint. Measures 10.25 inches high. Excellent condition. Signed and dated under base. Tom Cramer is an American artist working in Portland, Oregon noted for his intricately carved and painted wood reliefs and ubiquity throughout the city of Portland. Often called the unofficial Artist Laureate of Portland,[2] Cramer is one of the most visible and successful artists in the city. The influences on his work are both organic and technological. He is widely collected and is in many prominent west coast museum and private collections. He is in the permanent collections of the Portland Art Museum[3] in Portland Oregon, the Halle Ford Museum in Salem Oregon, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Eugene, Oregon, the Boise Art Museum in Idaho. Cramer made a name for himself in the 1980s and 1990s becoming a bridge between historical Oregon artists like Clifford Gleason and Milton Wilson...
Wood, Latex
Il Palio di Siena
By Sandro Chia
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Sandro Chia (Italian, b. 1946) Title: Il Palio di Siena Year: circa 1980 Edition: 4/6 Medium: Bronze, signature and numbering inscribed Size:...
Bronze
Angel with Heart
By Sandro Chia
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Sandro Chia (Italian, b. 1946) Title: Angel with Heart Year: circa 1980 Medium: Bronze sculpture with patina, signature and numbering inscribe...
Bronze
"Il narratore" by Enzio Wenk, 2020 - Pink Wooden Sculpture, Neo-Expressionism
By Enzio Wenk
Located in Bresso, IT
Translated title: "The narrator". Enamel, wood, charcoal and gauze.
Enamel
'King of Farts' original ceramic vase and relief signed by Michael Gross
Located in Milwaukee, WI
The ceramic sculptures of Wisconsin artist Michael Gross are personal narratives that reveal an unusual mix of earthly magic and primal vitality. The artist works in a variety of forms, including figurines, large vessels and furniture. The present vase is among the top tier of his works from the 1980s, showing multiple playful figures in relief around the vessel. In his Neo-Expressionist style, hearkening to the works of Keith Haring and Jean-Michel Basquiat, the figures are colored in painterly polychrome. Also, not unlike the painted narrative vessels of Ancient Greece, though much more subversive, many of the figures and stories are identified with text: 'King of Fart,' 'Dance Little Sister,' 'Girls for Every Boy,' and 'Beach Boy.' 22 x 13 x 12 inches overall Signed 'Gross' near base Dated 1986 near upper rim SELECTED COLLECTIONS INCLUDING WORKS BY GROSS: Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C.; Sharon Lynne Wilson...
Ceramic
$47,000
"Cow and Ballerina, " Painted Wood Sculpture signed by Schomer Lichtner
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Cow and Ballerina" is an original painted wood sculpture by Schomer Lichtner. It features a high-kicking ballerina standing on the back of a cow. The artist signed the piece. 36" x 61" x 26" art Milwaukee artist, Schomer Lichtner passed away on May 9, 2006 at the age of 101. He continued to amaze and create with his whimsical paintings of ballerinas and cows. He and his late wife Ruth Grotenrath, both well-known Wisconsin artists, began their prolific careers as muralists for WPA projects, primarily post offices. Schomer Lichtner was well known for his whimsical cows and ballerinas, such as his "Ballerina Dancing on Cow" sculpture below. The late James Auer, art critic for the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel referred to Lichtner as the artist laureate of Milwaukee, Wisconsin. He was the official artist of the Milwaukee Ballet. Lichtner also painted murals for industry and private clients. Schomer was a printmaker and produced block prints, lithographs, and serigraph prints. His casein (paint made from dairy products) and acrylic paintings are of the rural Wisconsin landscape and farm animals. He became interested in cows when he and Ruth spent summers near Holy Hill in Washington County. According to David Gordon, director of the Milwaukee Art Museum, Schomer Lichtner had a tremendous joie de vivre, " joy of life," and expressed it in his art. Schomer Lichtner was nationally known for his whimsical paintings and sculptures of black- and white-patterned Holstein cows...
Wood, Paint
"Untitled Vase, " Neo-Expressionist Ceramic Vase signed by Michael Gross
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Untitled Vase" is an original ceramic vase by Michael Gross. It features abstracted and grotesque figures on a yellow ground. 11 1/2" x 4 1/2" art The ceramic sculptures of Wisconsin artist Michael Gross are personal narratives that reveal an unusual mix of earthly magic and primal vitality. The artist works in a variety of forms, including figurines, large vessels and furniture. With over a dozen museum exhibitions under his belt, the artist is a regular exhibitor at SOFA in New York...
Ceramic
Peter Hermann, Wood Sculpture "Man In Red With Bird, 1998" Contemporary
Located in Eltville am Rhein, DE
Peter Hermann Bietigheim 1962 - lives in Ludwigsburg Figure with Bird, 1998 Elm, carved, painted Monogrammed on the back Size: 70 x 40 x 19 cm Literature and illustration: "Peter H...
Wood
$1,800
"Epoxy Glued Ming Dynasty, " Original Clay Sculpture signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Epoxy Glued Ming Dynasty" is an original acrylic-painted clay sculpture by Reginald K. Gee. The artist signed the piece on the bottom. This sculpture depicts two Asian men without a...
Clay, Wood, Acrylic
$2,216
H 11.82 in W 8.27 in D 6.3 in
Dancer Italy 1985 Multiple Polished Painted Bronze On Painted Wood
Located in Brescia, IT
Ugo Cara’ was born in Trieste, Italy in 1908. He took part to numerous Home and International Shows, among which: International Biennale in Venice, Quadrienni...
Bronze
$1,122Sale Price|20% Off
H 16.93 in W 12.41 in D 0.6 in
Mid Century Sgraffito, Saltimbanque and the Card Player, Circle of Picasso.
Located in Cotignac, FR
Mid 20th Century sgraffito work on plaster by Jean Pierre de Cayeux. The work is signed and dated on the skirt of the card player, bottom right, and on the stretcher of the chair, bo...
Enamel
Knife
By Kevin Kelly
Located in Westport, CT
This aqua resin and acrylic sculpture is an abstract female for created by Kevin Kelly. The dimensions are noted include a 4 inch high white base. The pedestal is separate. Kelly wor...
Resin, Acrylic
Goddess Ethereal
By Kevin Kelly
Located in Westport, CT
This aqua resin and acrylic sculpture is an abstract female for created by Kevin Kelly. The dimensions are noted include a 3 1/2 inch high base. Kelly works out of his Brooklyn studi...
Resin, Acrylic
$818Sale Price|30% Off
H 7.49 in W 7.09 in D 7.49 in
Architectural Layered Cement and Wood Head Sculpture Project Number 8
By Jose Perozo
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This architectural layered cement head sculpture examines the body as a durable dwelling, constructed through stacked volumes and structural fragments. Part of José Perozo’s Proyecto...
Concrete
$6,750
H 20 in W 4.25 in D 4.25 in
Pair of Porphyry Marble Columns with Gilt Bronze Capitals, 19th Century
Located in Beachwood, OH
Pair of Porphyry Marble Columns with Gilt Bronze Capitals, 19th Century Porphyry marble & gilt bronze 20 x 4.25 x 4.25 inches Porphyry is an igneous rock, not marble, known for its...
Marble, Bronze
HEAD
Located in New York, NY
Bronze sculpture with brown patina. Head of a young girl.
Bronze
$935Sale Price|20% Off
H 6.11 in W 8.47 in D 8.47 in
Architectural Hanging Cement Head Sculpture with Wood Framework Project 23
By Jose Perozo
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This architectural hanging cement head sculpture is defined by a distinctive lateral chestnut wood framework that surrounds the form like an external armat...
Concrete
$7,369
H 19.69 in W 8.27 in D 11.82 in
Lotte- 21st Century Bronze Sculpture of a sitting Young Girl
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Lotte 50 x 21 x 30 cm Bronze The theme van der Kraan likes most is to show the growing of young girls. Living in their own world. Like this girl watching ...
Bronze
$3,953
H 21.66 in W 23.63 in D 5.91 in
Lady of the House Steel Sculptural Painting with Geometric Female Profile
Located in FISTERRA, ES
Flat painted steel sculptural painting with geometric profile figure, architectural forms and colorful contemporary graphic composition. Lady of the House is a contemporary painted ...
Steel
$23,160
H 25.6 in W 23.63 in D 13.78 in
Wild Horse - 21st Century Contemporary Bronze Sculpture of a Horse
Located in Nuenen, Noord Brabant
Frans van Straaten Wilde Horse VII Bronze on bluestone pedestal H 65 cm W 65 cm D 35 cm Dutch artist Frans van Straaten (1963) should be called an artist of balance always searching for harmony between force and movement in combination with space. Because of the wide range in his art-education he has mastered the art of drawing, painting and sculpting technology. However, the classical plastic art of sculpture and modelling opens up the possibility for him to create his own language of sculpture in answer to his urge for art. Due to this style of sculpting, the preference for bronze is natural. After his study of sculpture at the Academy of Art in Rotterdam (1988), Frans van Straaten creates bronze sculptures in which he unites force and movement. Feeling and Emotion converted into Matter Sculpture is an experience of space combined with the challenge of the three-dimensional. The tension of space and movement are the themes, which Frans expresses in his sculptures. Summary it can be said that the power of life and being, the feeling and emotion by force and movement will be converted into matter. The experience of space is being expressed in the shapes and characters in each of Frans’ sculptures. His sculptures of bulls express explosive power while the horses find their strength in being elegant. Each sculpture recalls this way their own association and serves as a metaphor for a certain emotion. Feelings, which has inspired the artist for each sculpture. Powerful and Elegant Looking at the works of this artist, it becomes very clear that one of his most important sources is his background in art history. The Renaissance period as well as several Italian artists served as inspiration to Frans as a sculpture. For instance the expressions in Leonardo da Vinci’s artworks, and also Giovanni...
Bronze
$935Sale Price|20% Off
H 9.85 in W 9.45 in D 3.94 in
Architectural Wall-Mounted Cement Head Sculpture with Wood Framework Project 13
By Jose Perozo
Located in FISTERRA, ES
This architectural wall-mounted cement head sculpture features a distinctive horizontal chestnut wood framework that extends across the sides of the face, creating a striking interpl...
Concrete
Sold
H 12.25 in W 6 in D 4.25 in
Louvre Museum Reproduction Classical Male Bust, French Plaster Sculpture on Wood
Located in Plainview, NY
Louvre Museum Reproduction Classical Male Bust, French Plaster Sculpture on Wood This refined reproduction bust, bearing the stamp “Musée du Louvre – Reproduction Interdite – Atelie...
Plaster
Standing Figure
By Tom Cramer 1
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Tom Cramer (b.1960). Standing Figure, 1998. Carved wood and polymer paint. Measures 14.5 inches high. Excellent condition. Signed and dated under base. Tom Cramer is an American artist working in Portland, Oregon noted for his intricately carved and painted wood reliefs and ubiquity throughout the city of Portland. Often called the unofficial Artist Laureate of Portland,[2] Cramer is one of the most visible and successful artists in the city. The influences on his work are both organic and technological. He is widely collected and is in many prominent west coast museum and private collections. He is in the permanent collections of the Portland Art Museum[3] in Portland Oregon, the Halle Ford Museum in Salem Oregon, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Eugene, Oregon, the Boise Art Museum in Idaho. Cramer made a name for himself in the 1980s and 1990s becoming a bridge between historical Oregon artists like Clifford Gleason and Milton Wilson...
Wood, Latex
Standing Figure
By Tom Cramer 1
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Tom Cramer (b.1960). Standing Figure, 1998. Carved wood and polymer paint. Measures 17.5 inches high. Excellent condition. Signed and dated under base. Tom Cramer is an American artist working in Portland, Oregon noted for his intricately carved and painted wood reliefs and ubiquity throughout the city of Portland. Often called the unofficial Artist Laureate of Portland,[2] Cramer is one of the most visible and successful artists in the city. The influences on his work are both organic and technological. He is widely collected and is in many prominent west coast museum and private collections. He is in the permanent collections of the Portland Art Museum[3] in Portland Oregon, the Halle Ford Museum in Salem Oregon, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Eugene, Oregon, the Boise Art Museum in Idaho. Cramer made a name for himself in the 1980s and 1990s becoming a bridge between historical Oregon artists like Clifford Gleason and Milton Wilson...
Wood, Latex
Standing Figure
By Tom Cramer 1
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Tom Cramer (b.1960). Standing Figure, 1998. Carved wood and polymer paint. Measures 12 inches high. Excellent condition. Signed and dated under base. Tom Cramer is an American artist working in Portland, Oregon noted for his intricately carved and painted wood reliefs and ubiquity throughout the city of Portland. Often called the unofficial Artist Laureate of Portland,[2] Cramer is one of the most visible and successful artists in the city. The influences on his work are both organic and technological. He is widely collected and is in many prominent west coast museum and private collections. He is in the permanent collections of the Portland Art Museum[3] in Portland Oregon, the Halle Ford Museum in Salem Oregon, the Jordan Schnitzer Museum in Eugene, Oregon, the Boise Art Museum in Idaho. Cramer made a name for himself in the 1980s and 1990s becoming a bridge between historical Oregon artists like Clifford Gleason and Milton Wilson...
Wood, Latex
Sold
H 16.5 in W 8.5 in D 8.5 in
"Bella" Unique Glass Blown Sculpture in an Iridescent Turquoise Green Color
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
Ever expansive in his Animalia quest, renowned artist Hunt Slonem continues to boldly pursue his unique vision. Divining new forms for his aesthetic muses in hand-blown glass, neon and other illuminating raw materials, the artist’s impressive career spanning almost five decades enters a new phase. Bunnies. This piece depicts a gestural figure of turquoise green iridescent bunny. This is a one of a kind piece. Illuminating and awe inspiring, Hunts new Glass Blown Sculptures...
Glass
Sold
H 17.5 in W 6.5 in D 9 in
"Quinn" Unique Glass Blown Sculpture in an Iridescent Light Pink Color
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
Ever expansive in his Animalia quest, renowned artist Hunt Slonem continues to boldly pursue his unique vision. Divining new forms for his aesthetic muses in hand-blown glass, neon and other illuminating raw materials, the artist’s impressive career spanning almost five decades enters a new phase. Bunnies. This piece depicts a gestural figure of light pink tone iridescent bunny. This is a one of a kind piece. Illuminating and awe inspiring, Hunts new Glass Blown Sculptures...
Glass
Sold
H 15 in W 8 in D 9 in
"Phillip" Unique Glass Blown Sculpture in an Iridescent Orange Peach Color
By Hunt Slonem
Located in New York, NY
Ever expansive in his Animalia quest, renowned artist Hunt Slonem continues to boldly pursue his unique vision. Divining new forms for his aesthetic muses in hand-blown glass, neon and other illuminating raw materials, the artist’s impressive career spanning almost five decades enters a new phase. Bunnies. This piece depicts a gestural figure of peach tone iridescent bunny. This is a one of a kind piece. Illuminating and awe inspiring, Hunts new Glass Blown Sculptures...
Glass
Sold
H 63 in W 47.25 in D 3.94 in
Philippe Cognee Carved Painting Expressionist Wood Relief Sculpture African Art
Located in Surfside, FL
Roughly hewn and painted, carved wooden sculpture. Hand signed and dated. Provenance Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago, Illinois, (accompanied with copy of original invoice dated 1986.) This was from his show Out of Africa. Expressionist paintings and carved reliefs at the Richard Gray Gallery, Chicago His first one-man exhibition in the United States, the show featured multidimensional and multi-media work with influences from Africa and nature. Philippe Cognée...
Wood, Oil
Hunt Slonem Bunnies aluminum sculpture 'Untitled'
By Hunt Slonem
Located in White Plains, NY
'Untitled' 2019 by renowned New York City artist, Hunt Slonem. Acrylic on aluminum, 18 x 6 x 6 in. This aluminum sculpture features a plethora of cut-out bunnies in a variety of sizes on a metal plate...
Acrylic
Mademoiselle
By Mariko
Located in Miami, FL
The artist Mariko grew up in Africa, where she discovered clay and sandstone at an early age. Studying at “Les Beaux-Arts” in France, Mariko was marked by the Cubist movement, in par...
Enamel
Menschenberg
By Dieter Hacker
Located in Wilton Manors, FL
Dieter Hacker (German, b. 1942), “Menschenberg”, 1989, painted clay sculpture of six stacked elements, 55.5″h x 31.5″l x 31.5″w. Total weight: approx. 500lbs. Provenance: Estate of Pentti Kouri, NYC; Marlborough Gallery, London Biography: Dieter Hacker studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich in the class of Ernst Geitlinger , u. a. with Gerhard von Graevenitz and Klaus Staudt . His work can be divided into 3 phases: In the 1960s he began with analytical and kinetic works that were marked by the artist movement’s new tendencies...
Terracotta
Angel with Heart
By Sandro Chia
Located in Long Island City, NY
Artist: Sandro Chia (Italian, b. 1946) Title: Angel with Heart Year: circa 1980 Medium: Bronze, signature and numbering inscribed Edition: 50 Siz...
Bronze