Young & Wild? Art in 1980s Germany

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In contrast with the then dominant trend of conceptual and minimal art, these artists worked in diverse media and found inspiration in urban sub-cultures like the Punk and gay scenes.

This new artistic movement was soon called ‘Neo-Expressionism’. It was particularly prominent in Germany, where the Expressionism art movement had originated in the early 20th century. The Ashmolean has several collections of such modern and contemporary German art. This vibrant, free exhibition draws on highlights from these and recent acquisitions made over the last three years, which are exhibited here for the first time.

Paintings, sculptures and works on paper are included from three internationally-acclaimed artists in the Neo Expressionist movement, known as ‘Junge Wilde’ (‘young Fauves’) in the 1980s: A.R. Penck (1939–2017), Georg Baselitz (b.1938) and Markus Lüpertz (b.1941). 

Drawings and prints by a younger generation of ‘Junge Wilde’ artists, conveying the exuberant energy of this 80s West Berlin art scene, include expressive personal pieces from Elvira Bach, Ina Barfuss, Salomé and Luciano Castelli.