Wednesday, May 27, 2015

Blue Freedom --- Day 4/118

Walk: Union Square
Distance: 8 blocks and small home yoga

On her first day of  freedom (sort of)* from regular teaching, she thought of the expressionistic freedom artists of many sorts (architects, musicians, filmmakers) found in pre-WW I Germany. Experimenting with bold new ideas, non-realistic forms and artistic styles, they released energies which continue to this day in all the arts.

In the fine arts, the best known expressionistic movement (along with Die Bruke) is Der Blaue Reiter, centered around the Russian immigrant, Wassily Kandinsky, and the German, Franz Marc. It was a manifesto-less school.  Even so the artists all shared a desire to express spiritual truths through their art. They believed passionately in the very new modern art and in the connection between visual art and music.  To them color had spiritual and symbolic associations, and blue in particular awakened the desire for the spiritual eternal.  Their approach to painting was spontaneous and intuitive.

Sound familiar, modern art students?  Here we see its strongest origins bursting out.  Exciting and powerful.


Franz Marc, Great Blue Horses, 1911

Kandinsky, Blue Horseman
Wassily Kandinsky, Der Blaue Reiter, 1903
(This may or may not be the painting from which the movement took its name.  There is evidence that it was renamed after the movement was torn apart by World War I).


*Ciwt is irreplaceable!! (So far).  So, she's been asked and freely chosen to sub the class she retired from yesterday - on a week-to-week basis until a new teacher is found. Best of all worlds - freedom plus valued students.

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