Expressionism

Emphatic color, distorted form, and conspicuous marks may suggest inner tension.

Visual traits

• emphatic color
• distorted form
• conspicuous mark

Expected changes

• Color emphasis is more likely
• Form distortion is more likely

Definition

Expressionism is an early twentieth-century art movement that prioritizes inner experience over observational reproduction, using emphatic color, distorted form, or conspicuous mark. It does not determine a particular artist, work, region, or an individual's emotional state.

In more detail

The historical movement is distinct from general imagery that uses colors or forms suggesting strong feeling. Do not infer a particular psychology or diagnosis from an image.

Includes

• The early twentieth-century Expressionist movement
• Visual tendencies using emphatic color or distorted form

Excludes

• Imitation of an artist or work
• All emotional imagery
• Inference of an individual's mental state

What this does not imply

• A particular artist
• work
• region
• or an individual's emotion or diagnosis

Variability

It does not guarantee direct recreation of the historical movement; color and form emphasis can be adjusted.

Usage

• Show emphatic color and form
• Do not specify an artist or work

Distinguish similar expressions

• Specify a person's emotion separately as expression

Typical uses

• Construct a subject through emphatic color and form

Possible failure modes

• Result becomes merely saturated and loses form relations
• Output resembles a named work too closely