The Imprint of Restlessness. The Semiotic Charakter of Expression at the Start of the Twentieth Century
2016
Abstract
Restlessness in art around the turn of the twentieth century is traditionally associated with the problematic of expression. There was much discussion in German art theory at that time of 'expressive art' (Ausdruckskunst), which was soon subsumed into the German concept of 'Expressionismus', a term that, however, only appeared in English art criticism (Expressionism) from the mid-19th century onwards.
Sculpture at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries represents material that cries out for a reassessment of ingrained ideas regarding expressive art. If we trace the semiotic character of sculptural production of that time, we arrive to conclusions that blur the boundaries outlined in advance by art theory up until that time.