Should I Visit the Blockbuster 'Expressionists' Exhibition at Tate Modern?

Summary

Join George as he explores 'Modern Expressionists: Kandinsky, Munter, and the Blue Rider' at the Tate Modern. This exhibition features an extensive collection of works from the Lenbach House in Munich, showcasing the group's unique use of color and spirituality. Discover the origins of the Blue Rider movement, Kandinsky's journey into abstraction, and the diverse artistic styles that define this influential group. Experience the vibrant colors and emotional depth of their art, and consider the curatorial choices that shape the narrative of this significant exhibition.

Takeaways

• 🎨 The vlog explores the 'blockbuster' exhibition at Tate Modern featuring Modern Expressionists Kandinsky, Munter, and the Blue Rider group.
• 🌍 The exhibition includes significant loans from the Lenbach House in Munich, which houses the world's best collection of Blue Rider works.
• 🔵 The Blue Rider group, active before WWI, was not defined by a single artistic style but by their shared use of color and spirituality.
• 🎭 The group was multidisciplinary, consisting of musicians, artists, and writers, and was very international, reflecting Munich's progressive nature at the time.
• 🖼️ Kandinsky's work in the exhibition marks his transition to abstraction, making him one of the world's first purely abstract artists.
• ‍🎨 The exhibition's curation was somewhat disjointed, with themes and room transitions that could be improved.
• 🌈 The use of color by the Blue Rider artists was pivotal, with blue and yellow symbolizing different spiritual principles.
• 🏞️ The rural town of Murnau played a significant role in the group's development, influencing Kandinsky's move towards non-figurative painting.
• 🎵 The Blue Rider group was also interested in sound and light, incorporating these elements into their artwork.
• 🏛️ The exhibition ends with a reflection on the Blue Rider almanac and the impact of WWI on the group, with some key artists losing their lives.
• 📅 The show runs until the 20th of October, offering a rare opportunity to see these works in London.

Q & A

What is the main focus of the art exhibition discussed in the script?

The main focus of the art exhibition is the works of modern expressionists Kandinsky, Munter, and the Blue Rider group.

What is unique about the Blue Rider group?

The Blue Rider group was unique in that it was not defined by a coherent artistic style but rather by their shared interest in the use of color and spirituality in their works.

Why were the Blue Rider artists called by that name?

The Blue Rider name was partly due to Kandinsky's love of horses and the color blue, which he associated with purity and the supernatural, while Munter saw blue as a masculine principle.

What role did color play in the works of the Blue Rider artists?

Color was crucial to the Blue Rider artists as it was a gateway into the spiritual realm, and they used it to enhance their works rather than draining it like the Cubists in Paris.

In which city did the Blue Rider group coalesce and when?

The Blue Rider group coalesced in Munich just before the First World War.

What is the significance of Murnau in the context of the Blue Rider artists?

Murnau was a rural town in the Bavarian Alps that became a retreat for the Blue Rider artists, where Kandinsky began experimenting with non-figurative painting and moving towards abstraction.

What is the connection between the Blue Rider artists and the art of different cultures?

The Blue Rider artists were influenced by crafts and art from around the world, reflecting their interest in spirituality and diverse artistic expressions.

What was the curatorial approach to the exhibition discussed in the script?

The exhibition aimed to showcase the diversity of styles within the Blue Rider group and their connection to spirituality, but the curation was criticized for being somewhat disjointed and not always effectively highlighting the themes.

What was the reviewer's overall impression of the exhibition?

The reviewer was impressed by the art but felt the curation could have been better, giving the exhibition a rating of seven out of ten.

What did the reviewer appreciate most about the works of Kandinsky and Munter?

The reviewer appreciated Kandinsky's early abstract works and found Munter's portraits refreshing and paired back in their expression.

Outlines

00:00

🎨 Introduction to the Blue Rider Exhibition

The video script introduces the viewer to an art vlog exploring galleries and exhibitions, focusing on the 'Modern Expressionists: Kandinsky, Munter, and the Blue Rider' exhibition. The narrator, George, sets the stage for the exploration of the exhibition, which includes significant loans from the Lenbach House in Munich, known for its extensive collection of Blue Rider works. The Blue Rider group, active before World War I, was a diverse collective of musicians, artists, and writers. They were united by their use of color and spirituality, contrasting with the color-draining styles of the Cubists. The group's name is explained, highlighting the significance of the color blue and the group's focus on color as a spiritual gateway. The video promises a review of the exhibition, including Kandinsky's early abstract works, and encourages viewers to experience the art in person, with a warning to skip forward for those who wish to avoid spoilers.

06:27

🌏 The International Blue Rider Group and Their Artistic Journey

The script delves into the international nature of the Blue Rider group, highlighting their multicultural composition and the progressive atmosphere of Munich, which served as a backdrop for their activities. The group's connection to the New Artists' Association of Munich is mentioned, emphasizing their progressive stance, including the allowance of female members. The exhibition's flow is critiqued as 'jerky' by the narrator, who finds the transition between sections, such as Gabriele Munter's journey to Tunisia with Kandinsky and the exploration of gender through Mariana Verevkin's work, to be somewhat disjointed. The script then shifts to the rural retreat of Murnau, where the artists engaged with local arts and crafts, marking a pivotal point in Kandinsky's move towards abstraction.

11:47

🌈 The Influence of Crafts and Global Art on the Blue Rider

The video script discusses the influence of crafts and global art on the Blue Rider group, emphasizing the importance of spirituality in their work. The exhibition's room titled 'Being a Necessity of Art' contains some of the strongest paintings, reflecting the group's broad thematic approach. The script then transitions to smaller rooms focusing on sound, color, and light, showcasing the group's innovative use of these elements in their art. The final room provides a direct engagement with the Blue Rider group, leaving the viewer with a sense of 'what if' regarding the impact of World War I on the group, particularly the loss of key artists.

16:48

🖌️ The Art of the Blue Rider: A Personal Reflection

The narrator shares a personal reflection on the exhibition, emphasizing the theme of art conquering all, including the challenges of the exhibition's curation. The script highlights the rarity of seeing such a vast collection of Blue Rider works in London, appreciating the loans from Munich. The narrator expresses a particular fondness for Kandinsky's work and notes the refreshing simplicity of Gabriele Munter's portraits. The script also acknowledges the work of Franz Marc and Mariana van Werefkin, with the latter being a revelation to the narrator. Despite some artists not reaching the same heights and some curatorial decisions feeling forced, the overall experience is positive, with the narrator recommending the exhibition and giving it a 7 out of 10 rating.

21:49

🌟 Conclusion and Upcoming Art Events

The script concludes with the narrator's enthusiasm for the exhibition and a call to action for viewers to experience the art in person. The video ends on a note of anticipation for upcoming art events in London, including shows on Michaelangelo and Caravaggio. The narrator encourages viewers to subscribe to the art vlog and to actively explore the rich UK art scene.

Keywords

💡Art Vlog

An 'Art Vlog' refers to a video blog or vlog that focuses on the art world, typically featuring visits to galleries, exhibitions, and discussions about art. In the context of the video, the Art Vlog is hosted by George and takes viewers on a tour of various art spaces, highlighting the new exhibition featuring modern expressionists like Kandinsky, Munter, and the Blue Rider group.

💡Blue Rider

The 'Blue Rider' was an art group that formed in Munich just before World War I, consisting of musicians, artists, and writers. The group was not defined by a single artistic style but was united by their use of color and spirituality in their works. The name 'Blue Rider' is partly due to Kandinsky's love of horses and the color blue's symbolic significance, as mentioned in the script, where Kandinsky describes the color blue as a call towards purity and the supernatural.

💡Color

In the video, 'color' is discussed as a crucial element for the artists of the Blue Rider group. They used color not just aesthetically but as a gateway into the spiritual realm. This is in contrast to the Cubists in Paris who reduced color in their works. The Blue Rider artists, influenced by Fauvism, enhanced color to express their emotions and spiritual ideas, as exemplified by Kandinsky's first abstract works which are mentioned in the script.

💡Expressionism

Expressionism is an art movement characterized by the use of bold colors and abstract forms to express emotions and ideas. In the video, the term is used to describe the style of the artists featured in the exhibition, particularly Kandinsky, Munter, and the Blue Rider group. The script mentions how these artists used color and form to convey deep emotional and spiritual content.

💡Abstract Art

Abstract art is a form of art that does not attempt to represent an accurate depiction of a visual reality but instead uses forms, colors, and textures to achieve its effect. The video discusses Kandinsky's move towards abstraction, which is significant as he became one of the world's first purely abstract artists. The script highlights a wall in the exhibition where viewers can see Kandinsky experimenting with non-figurative painting.

💡Spirituality

Spirituality in the context of the video refers to the artists' use of art to express their inner beliefs and emotions that transcend the physical world. The Blue Rider group was particularly interested in spirituality, and this is reflected in their use of color and form. The script mentions that for the Blue Rider artists, color was not just an artistic choice but a means to express spiritual ideas.

💡Curation

Curation in an art context refers to the process of selecting and organizing artworks for an exhibition. The video script includes a critique of the exhibition's curation, suggesting that the flow of the show was 'jerky' and that some curatorial decisions felt forced or did not fit well with the overall theme of color and spirituality. The reviewer also mentions that the final room did not provide the expected climax to the exhibition.

💡Munich

Munich is the city where the Blue Rider group coalesced and had a significant influence on their work. The video script discusses how Munich was a progressive and liberal city during the time the group was active, and it served as a melting pot for international artists. The city's influence is evident in the exhibition, with many of the works being loaned from Munich's Lenbach House, which has the world's best collection of Blue Rider works.

💡Lenbach House

The Lenbach House is mentioned in the script as the source of many of the artworks featured in the exhibition. It is an art museum in Munich that houses one of the world's most significant collections of Blue Rider works. The script highlights the generosity of the Lenbach House in lending such important pieces for the exhibition in London, indicating the rarity and significance of this collection being displayed outside of Munich.

💡Wassily Kandinsky

Wassily Kandinsky is a prominent figure in the video, known as one of the foremost pioneers of abstract art. The script discusses his work extensively, particularly his early experiments with abstraction and his use of color to evoke spiritual responses. Kandinsky's influence on the Blue Rider group and his role in the exhibition are central to the video's narrative.

Highlights

Introduction to the new blockbuster exhibition at Tate Modern featuring Modern Expressionists Kandinsky, Munter, and the Blue Rider.

Significant loans from the Lenbach House in Munich, home to the world's best collection of Blue Rider works.

The Blue Rider group's formation in Munich just before World War I, consisting of musicians, artists, and writers.

The group's focus on the use of color and spirituality, contrasting with the color-draining Cubists in Paris.

Kandinsky's view on color as a gateway into the spiritual, with blue symbolizing a call towards purity and the supernatural.

The anticipation of seeing Kandinsky's first abstract works, marking his transition to pure abstraction.

The exhibition's structure, with the first room introducing Kandinsky and Munter through their lesser-known works.

The multi-disciplinary nature of the Blue Rider group and the variety of artistic styles they encompassed.

The international composition of the Blue Rider group, reflecting the progressive and liberal atmosphere of Munich.

The significance of Murnau as a rural retreat for the artists, where Kandinsky began experimenting with non-figurative painting.

The influence of crafts and global art on the Blue Rider group, highlighting the theme of spirituality in their work.

The exploration of sound, color, and light in the Blue Rider's work, showcasing their innovative use of these elements.

The final room's mixed works and the poignant reminder of the impact of World War I on the Blue Rider group.

The reviewer's overall impression of the exhibition, praising the art but criticizing the curation.

The importance of seeing the works live and the recommendation to visit the exhibition before it closes on October 20th.

The anticipation of future art exhibitions in London, including those featuring Michaelangelo and Caravaggio.

Transcripts

a huge warm welcome to the art vog art

lovers With Me George do for me the art

Vlog is a vlog that takes you into

Galleries and exhibition spaces across

London the southeast of England and

Beyond and I can't wait today to explore

with you the new blockbuster at tap

modern expressionists Kandinsky munter

and the blue Rider this show includes a

very generous set of loans from the lmar

house in Munich the world's best

collection of blue Rider works and

certainly the world's biggest the blue

Rider were an interesting group they

coalesced in Munich in that years just

before the first world war and consisted

of musicians artists and writers they

were not a coherent artistic style but

more um an alamac at first a book called

The Blue Rider which included texts and

images is the artists of the blue Rider

did exhibit together twice in Munich in

1911 and 1912 and that first exhibition

traveled around Europe but what did

unite them was the use of color and

spirituality in terms of color they were

not like the cubists in Paris who

drained color from their Works they

enhanced it massively influenced by fist

like mati and for them color was much

more than an atic Choice it was a

Gateway into the spiritual

you might wonder why they were called

the Blue Rider and it was partly because

of Mark's love of horses um but it was

also because kadinsky said this about

the color blue the deeper the blue

becomes the more strongly it calls man

towards the infamt Awakening him in and

a desire for Purity and finally for the

supernatural whereas Mark saw Mark saw

blue as a masculine principle AR

stringent and spiritual and yellow a

feminine principle genu gentle gay and

sensual

color was absolutely crucial to these

artists and it was a Gateway into the

spiritual I'm going to expect in this

show great works by kinsky Mark Aus M

and munter and many others and I'm

hoping for documentary evidence as well

I'm hoping to see some of kandinsky's

first abstract works because it was in

Munich that he became one of the world's

first ever purely abstract artists as

shows on until the 20th of October it's

£2 to get in come and join me as we head

inside as always it's better to see this

work live so if you're going to the show

and you want to be surprised by the

works then do skip forward to my review

by following the chapters in the

description I'll introduce each section

to this show but leave you in the

capable of hands of the expressionist

art and the first room is strange in a

way introduces the two Headliners of the

show if you like kinsky and munter but I

thought it chose rather strange Works to

introduce them including these F

interesting photos from from the deep

south in America before the show begins

to warm up a little bit with the two

rooms munic the politics of looking and

concentric

circles and and these rooms remind us

that the blue ride had gathered in

Munich um which at the time was quite a

progressive and liberal City in Bavaria

and the blue Rider themselves were a

very International Group was Americans

and Eastern Europeans of Jewish descent

Russians austr hungarians as well as

Germans all thrown into this Melting Pot

of the city and the new artist

Association of Munich or the nkv M

founded in 1909 was a progressive um art

art um establishment which allowed women

members and it also reminds us in these

early rooms both of the

multi-disciplinary nature of the blue

Rider group and their Associates and

also the vast variety of different

Artistic

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Styles and we're reminded especially in

the Next Room concentric circles that

the blue Rider were friends as much as

as as artists and often um painted each

other

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I have to confess that um I found the

flow of the show at this point a bit

jerky cuz we then are transported to a

series of pictures by Gabriela munta um

that um follow her journey to Tunisia

with Kandinsky in 1904 and

1905 and then this swiftly follows a um

look at per a section called performing

gender which explores Mariana um

verevkin um rejection of gender binaries

apparently she said I'm not a man not a

woman I am I and her support of um

androgynous performer sakarov um and we

see some of her work here which I found

interesting and I'll talk a little bit

more about in the review

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the sh crackles into life for me in the

room mnow the possibility of place mnow

was a rural town in the foothills of the

Bavarian Alps which became a bit of a

Rural Retreat for the blue Rider artists

um munter purchased a house in in mnau

and she and Kinski moved between the

city of Munich and the countryside um in

the period from 1909 to the start of the

first world war other artists um from

the blue Rider group bought houses or or

or or base themselves in towns nearby

and it became a really interesting point

where the artist engaged with local arts

and crafts and it's incredibly important

in Western Art because um this is where

kinsky as you can see here begins to

experiment with non-figurative painting

making that really important move

towards abstraction and my heartbeat

faster in this room

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in the section artists and collectors

which sort of goes down a corridor

between the two main sections of the

space we get to explore how the blue

Rider were influenced by by crafts and

by art from around the world

um this I mentioned in the my

introduction that um spirituality was a

very important part of the blue Rider

group and that's the very broad theme of

the room being a necessity of art which

contains some of the strongest paintings

of the exhibition

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[Applause]

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after this epic Feast of outstanding art

you kind of had taken through to two

three smaller rooms which look at how

sound um color and light were used by

the uh blue Rider group in The Sound

Room your you hear um works by shonberg

pipe through from the ceiling along with

this work which was directly inspired by

schonberg's work in the color room we

look at how prism was used to to to

experiment and accentuate color and and

there's a work oler Elias in the light

room

[Music]

in the final room we're able to finally

engage directly with the blue Rider

alamac um and also with a range of I

would say mixed works by artists from

the blue Rider group and um and there's

quite a bit of sweet um feeling to this

room because um Mackie and Mark two key

artists from the blue Rider group lost

their lives in the first world war and

um so you left with this massive sense

of what if and um I'll talk a little bit

more about that in the review as well

but enjoy these works and I'll see you

at the end of the exhibition

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I really hope you enjoyed that

exploration there of expressionists

Kandinsky munter and the blue Rider from

tape modern and if you're not able to go

and get to this show I hope it gave you

at least a little sense of of what the

show was like obviously there is no

substitution for seeing these Works live

so do get along there if you can and for

me the real theme of the show was Art

conquering all especially conquering

some slightly iffy curation the fact is

that we will not see these Works in

London in such vast quantities again for

a very long time um it's amazing that

the Len back house has been prepared to

lend such Stellar Works um and probably

about 75 of the percent of these Works

came from Munich either from the lenbach

house or the various foundations over

there and so it really is a once in a

generation chance to see these Works in

London if you're not able to get out to

Munich and there was some fantas FC work

on display the Kinski obviously stole

the show to a certain extent my heart

beat faster looking at this wall um

where you saw him dabbling for the first

times with abstraction in this blue

Rider moment or this painting as well I

thought that Gabrielle munter was a

really nice anecdote she had a Ry um

look in her portraits especially showing

Kandinsky holding forth and people

having to listen to him and she was

actually treated quite badly by him in

the again but that was after the blue

Rider had

disbanded um and so she was a really

refreshing kind of paired back

expressionist I thought that France

Mark's paintings were wonderful I'm a

fan of his and I love his um his his

expression of of different animals

there's something quite threatening dark

about them in some ways but also a

tremendous about of empathy and for me

Maran rkin is a revelation as well I've

only really come to know her work in the

last couple of years and I'm glad I do I

love this blue scene of of the skaters

in fact my friend who I went around the

exhibition with um really like this one

too there were some artists which didn't

quite reach those Heights and um I would

say some strange curatorial decisions I

thought the first half of the show

lacked a really nice flow it was a bit

stop start and you began to question the

themes a bit and I was also a bit gutted

with the final room because so often in

this part of the tape modern this final

room is the place where you kind of

bought to a new height and that wasn't

the case actually in this in this sense

and also it was a show I must say where

I felt it was so much of our time and in

some ways it could be accused of trying

to shoehorn the expressionists into the

concerns of our time I'm always up for

re-evaluating artists and and art

movements and seeing how they can be

interpreted in different ways way but in

some ways this felt kind of a bit forced

um not to say that these these artists

were not very modern in lots of their

lives as well I thought that another

really interesting thing was the

diversity of styles and in some ways

that was a strength um you saw that the

blue Rider group were very open to

different forms of artistic expression

but at the same time in some cases it

meant um putting in artists whose Works

did not NE necessarily fit with the

explosion of color which made this show

such a highlight um but overall I'm very

very glad I went I think it's a good

show just concentrate on the art is my

my my view on this show um and I do

think that 22 is really good value for

seeing these works it really special to

see them in London and this show's on

all the way until the 20th of October

I'll be back no doubt several times

taking different people around it and I

hope that if you're in London you're

able to go in too I would give this a

seven out of 10 overall um because the

art was incredible but the curation did

let it down a bit and I found it a tiny

bit frustrating but um well done to the

tape for getting this loan it's a really

great opportunity to see these works

there's lots more shows coming up from

uh London including Michaelangelo

Caravaggio as well so do stay tuned

don't forget to subscribe to the art

Vlog and most most importantly of all

get out there and explore the

wonderfully Rich UK art scene