Neo-expressionism - neo-expressionist

An international movement in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which was a reaction against the experimentation of Conceptual art and the severity of Minimalism. Neo-Expressionists often express intense, violent feelings emphasized by gestural motions in applying paint. The term is widely used to describe works done primarily by German and Italian artists who came to maturity in the post-WWII era. In the 1980s the meaning expanded to include certain American artists such as Nancy Graves, Robert Longo, Ed Paschke, David Salle, Julian Schnabel, Robert Morris, Sue Coe, Martha Diamond and Donald Sultan. Its exponents utilize traditional approaches such as easel painting and cast and carved sculpture. However generalizations about subject matter are difficult because it is so wide ranging from surrealist dreams to allegory to mythology. Source: Robert Atkins, "Art Speak"; AskART biographies