An Observation on Primitivism Art

The term "primitivism" has always struck a chord in me, if simply for the images and ideological notions it conjures in my head. So when posed with the comparison and contrasting of two "primitive" European artists, I knew I had to ante up. The first artist I shall be discussing shall be Erich Heckel from the "Die Brücke" movement of Expressionism. We will be viewing his work Standing Child from 1910. The next artist for my scrutiny will be the infamous Pablo Picasso with his Cubist piece Les Demoiselles d'Avignon from 1907.

Before I discuss what Primitivism meant to each of these artists, I must first discuss what Primitivism is and where it came from. Primitivism was derived from "Primitive" art forms, i.e. art works that were free of the knowledge and teachings of the modern art schools. These arts included Asian, Oceanic, Islamic, Medieval, and (most influentially) African works of art. At this point in time in Europe, many artists were looking for a simpler way of life and work, a trend away from the large industries and mass production of the day. To them, these "Primitive" works of art were highly energized, natural, spiritual, and untouched by modernization. Thus, from Primitive inspirations comes the work of Primitivism. Both artists were trying to break away from the modern world in their works, but they both went about it in different ways with different influences.

Heckel was largely influenced by famous medieval German woodcarvers such as Dürer and Schongauer. He also drew much inspiration from medieval paintings, as is obvious in his technique. Standing Child is a wood carving similar to what the aforementioned artists created, but aesthetically similar to older paintings than wood carvings. He utilizes three wood blocks, smooth and without the fine cuts, ruts, and v-shaped grooves that gave such fine detail and beauty to Dürer, to create a unique and appealing presentation. The three pieces are each limited to one bright, vibrant color, and are pieced together with a puzzle-piece like technique developed by Munch. The only paper used in the piece is used to portray the body of the model, and to give her a pale glow; a stark contrast to the colors she is set upon.

Picasso, like many other "Primitivism" artists of the time, was largely influenced by African art and their disregard for standard European proportions in the display of human beings. In his work Les Demoiselles d'Avignon, this is largely visible. The heads of the figures are very mask-like, as was common in African sculpture. The sexual and more sensual parts of the bodies are emphasized as well, which was very uncommon for European works of art. The proportions of the arms and legs are also untrue to real life perception. Picasso also gives his piece a very sculptural feel with his use of rigid corners mixed with strong curves. One of the purposes of the use of Cubism is to display a 2-Dimensional object in the round, or the third dimension. By taking the cubist route, Picasso has simply provided more evidence to support just how influential African sculptures were to his work.

Both of the artists I have studied today utilized "Primitivism" in the same fashion, and were both moving towards the same goals. However, their utilization and influences are very different from one another as are shown in each of their works. The fact that both of these pieces belonged to two completely different artistic movements prove the sheer influence and power that the term "Primitivism" held over the artistic European community for so long in the early 20^th century.