Published: 12/06/2024
I was unprepared for the colour and vigour of this Exhibition. I loved it! Although the Blue Rider movement was short, before WW1, some of the pictures seemed so modern, well into the 20th century as this wide group of artists, many women, from several nations, believed that art could transform our lives.
Apart from the wonderful Kandinsky whose ‘Cossacks’ became a favourite, I came across artists unknown to me: Maria Franck-Marc (Girl with Toddler), Paul Klee, Werefkin (The Dancer), Robert Delaunay, Marc (Deer in the Snow 11) among others. They worked collaboratively and it was great to see women artists pushing the boundaries.
The name was taken from their pamphlet, ‘The Blue Rider Almanac’ (a copy is on display) which outlined their values. These were set against the society and inequalities of the time. You can almost feel the build-up to the War. They experimented with art as spiritual, as photography, as sound, as colour, as movement, as a way to explore identity, all of which you experience in the Exhibition.
Much of the work comes from the Lenbachhaus Munich. Tate Modern is much easier to get to!
Click here for more information about the exhibition.
