Artist 41: Edvard Munch

Edvard Munch was born in 1863 in Norway. He used expressionism and symbolism in his painting, exploring the themes of life and himself, such as love, fear, anxiety, etc. His most famous piece, "The Scream," aside from being one of my favorite pieces as well, this piece is a prime example of his use of symbolism. The man screaming is a symbol of the anxieties that plague the modern man, as he stands on a bridge at sunset. This reflects an experience Munch had while walking one day, at sunset the sky turned a blood red and he felt a great deal of anxiety. The style that he uses reminds me a bit of Van Gogh. The swirling lines that seem to be involved in an intricate dance that includes each and every line on the painting. He also uses bold colors, and a wide variety of them in each part of the painting (No 1 object is 1 color.)
One thing that really draws my interest is the story and purpose behind the painting. Munch was exploring the themes of life and what makes people human, this inspires me to use my own artwork to explore myself as well as to explore who others are and possibly who we are as human beings.