Wednesday, May 12, 2010

My Favorite Artists and Their Art: Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch has long been one of my favorite artists in Modern Art. His symbolist and proto-expressionist works have a deeply personal connection with me. Somehow, they reach into my psyche, wrenching my emotions and thoughts from within and allow them to materialize in paint. Munch's art worked on two psychological levels at once, both conjuring up primitive emotions from our personal past while at the same time juxtaposing it with his knowledge of archetypal characters from our collective past. I love the way his artwork, much like Franz Kafka's writings, tap into those deep-rooted feelings of inadequacy, guilt, regret, lust, and utter despair.

The Scream (1893)
The Scream

Puberty (1894-1895)
Puberty

Vampire, also known as Love and Pain (1893-1894)
Vampire

Madonna (1894-1895)
Madonna

The Three Stages of Woman (circa 1894)
The Three Stages of Woman

The Sick Child (1896)
The Sick Child

Self-Portrait with a Skeleton Arm (1895)
Self-Portrait with a Skeleton Arm

Self-Portrait with a Cigarette (1895)
Self-Portrait with a Cigarette

Evening on Karl Johan Street (1892)
Evening on Karl Johan Street

The Sun (1909-1916)
The Sun

Lady from the Sea (1896)
Lady from the Sea

Death in the Sick Room (1895)
Death in the Sick Room

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