The 1980s saw a remarkable resurgence of figurative and expressive painting in Germany, particularly in the vibrant art scene of West Berlin. This movement, often referred to as the "New Expressionism," was characterised by a bold, gestural style that stood in stark contrast to the more conceptual and minimalist tendencies that had dominated the previous decade.
Key artists associated with this movement include K.H. Hödicke, Salome, Rainer Fetting, and Helmut Middendorff, each of whom developed a distinct visual language that captured the raw energy and social tensions of the time.
K.H. Hödicke: Gestural Abstraction and Social Commentary
K.H. Hödicke was a central figure in the New Expressionist movement, known for his large-scale, energetic paintings that combined abstraction and figuration. Hödicke's works often featured thick, expressive brushstrokes and a vibrant, almost violent use of colour, creating a sense of raw emotional intensity.
Many of Hödicke's paintings from the 1980s addressed social and political themes, reflecting the turbulent climate of West Berlin at the time. In works like "Demonstration" and "Riot," Hödicke depicted scenes of civil unrest and protest, using his gestural style to convey the chaos and tension of these events. The figures in his paintings are often fragmented or obscured, suggesting a sense of alienation and disorientation.
Hödicke's approach to painting was deeply influenced by the German Expressionist tradition, particularly the work of artists like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Emil Nolde. However, he also incorporated elements of Abstract Expressionism, creating a unique synthesis of figurative and abstract elements. The result is a style that is both visually striking and socially engaged, reflecting the artist's desire to capture the zeitgeist of 1980s Berlin.
Salome, a male artist who rose to prominence in the 1980s, was known for his provocative, sexually charged paintings and drawings. His work often featured explicit, sometimes disturbing imagery that challenged traditional representations of the male body and sexuality.
Salome painting scenes as mental images or associations. Notional male bodies floated through undefined spaces that recalled the lily ponds of Monet's late impressionist painting. There is in these works a play on the serial repattion f oen figure - the artist - set agaisnt a crowd or an orgy of others. There isheere an indentification of the loen artist and a call for solidarity, acceptance and social development in recognising the sexual identity of the artist as a gay man.
Salome's style was characterised by a bold, gestural approach to drawing and painting, with thick, expressive lines and a vibrant, almost garish use of colour. This aesthetic, combined with his subversive subject matter, created a sense of visual and psychological intensity that was both captivating and unsettling.
Rainer Fetting was another key figure in the New Expressionist movement, known for his dynamic, emotionally charged paintings of the urban landscape and portraiture. Fetting's works often featured bold, gestural brushstrokes and a vibrant, almost garish use of colour, creating a sense of raw energy and immediacy.
Many of Fetting's paintings from the 1980s focused on the gritty, industrial cityscape of West Berlin, capturing the energy and tension of the city's streets and alleyways. In works like "Potsdamer Platz" and "Kreuzberg," Fetting used his expressive style to convey a sense of the city's raw, pulsing vitality, with figures and buildings rendered in a state of constant flux and movement.
Fetting's portraiture, meanwhile, was characterised by a similar sense of psychological intensity and emotional depth. In works like "Self-Portrait" and "Portrait of Helmut Middendorff," the artist used his gestural, expressionistic style to capture the inner lives of his subjects, conveying a sense of vulnerability and raw, unfiltered emotion.
Fetting's work was deeply influenced by the German Expressionist tradition, particularly the work of artists like Ernst Ludwig Kirchner and Max Beckmann. However, he also incorporated elements of contemporary pop art and street art, creating a unique synthesis of styles that reflected the energy and chaos of 1980s Berlin.
Helmut Middendorff was another prominent figure in the New Expressionist movement, known for his surreal, dreamlike paintings that combined elements of figuration and abstraction.
Middendorff's works often featured strange, hybrid creatures and disorienting, fragmented landscapes, creating a sense of psychological unease and mystery.
Many of Middendorff's paintings from the 1980s were inspired by the artist's own personal experiences and subconscious, with figures and environments that seemed to exist in a liminal space between the real and the imagined. In works like "The Sleepwalker" and "The Wanderer," Middendorff used his distinctive style to explore themes of identity, memory, and the human condition.
Middendorff's approach to painting was characterised by a unique blend of figuration and abstraction, with bold, expressive brushstrokes and a vibrant, almost hallucinatory use of colour. This aesthetic, combined with the artist's surreal, dreamlike subject matter, created a sense of visual and psychological intensity that was both captivating and unsettling.
Middendorff's work was influenced by a range of artistic traditions, from German Expressionism to Surrealism and Magical Realism. However, his style was ultimately his own, reflecting a deeply personal and idiosyncratic vision that set him apart from his contemporaries in the New Expressionist movement.
The New Expressionist painting and drawing of 1980s Berlin was a remarkable and influential movement that captured the raw energy and social tensions of the time. Artists like K.H. Hödicke, Salome, Rainer Fetting, and Helmut Middendorff each developed a distinct visual language that combined elements of figuration and abstraction, gestural expressionism, and psychological depth.
Whether depicting scenes of civil unrest, subversive sexuality, or surreal, dreamlike landscapes, these artists used their art to engage with the complex social and political realities of 1980s Germany. Their work continues to be celebrated for its visual power, emotional intensity, and enduring relevance in the annals of 20th-century art.