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Neo-Expressionist Paintings

NEO-EXPRESSIONIST STYLE

A resurgence of interest in Expressionism, Pop art, Surrealism, Abstract Expressionism and other movements gained steam among artists of the 1970s and ’80s, in part as a reaction to the austerity of the prevailing minimalism and Conceptual art of the era. A decadent, bold and brash art style called Neo-Expressionism saw painters returning to figural representation, creating highly textured works that were imbued with intensely personal narratives.

Neo-Expressionist paintings are sensuous in nature and highly subjective in meaning. Expressive brushwork, highly pigmented colors and layered forms and materials lent sculptural attributes to the work and were used to depict symbolic narratives from history, mythology and the artist’s personal experience. 

Prominent figures such as Jean-Michel Basquiat led the Neo-Expressionist movement in the United States with paintings and prints that were raw, emotional and often violent in nature. In Germany, Die Neuen Wilden (the “New Fauves”) was the name given to a group of postwar artists that included the likes of sculptor Georg Baselitz and Gerhard Richter, a painter and photographer who explored the possibilities of both abstraction and realism, sometimes in a single piece. The work of the New Fauves — labeled as such for its return to Fauvism’s textured brushwork and use of vibrant colors — shares commonalities with Neo-Expressionism, and Baselitz was a pioneer of the movement in Europe. In addition, Willem de Kooning’s pulsating action paintings and Julian Schnabel’s experimentation with the materiality of paintings also took shape during this period.

“I was trying to make paintings different from the paintings that I saw a lot of at the time, which were mostly minimal, and they were highbrow and alienating, and I wanted to make very direct paintings that most people would feel the emotion behind when they saw them,” said Basquiat. 

Neo-Expressionism generated some polarizing opinions, with some celebrating the revival of personal subjectivity in art while others criticizing the movement for being too commercially driven and nostalgic. But most experts agree that Neo-Expressionism was a huge commercial success and culturally impactful, paving the way for the postmodern work of artists like Richter and Sigmar Polke

Find original Neo-Expressionist paintings, prints, mixed-media works and other art on 1stDibs.

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Style: Neo-Expressionist
Artist: Reginald K. Gee
"Bland Impressions of Easy Park (The Fall Collection), " Acrylic signed by Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Bland Impressions of Easy Park (The Fall Collection" is an original acrylic painting on canvas by Reginald K. Gee. It is signed in the lower-left corner. This painting depicts two s...
Category

Early 2000s Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Frozen In Ice, " Oil Pastel on Grocery Bag Portrait signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Frozen In Ice" is an oil pastel on grocery bag signed by Reginald K. Gee. The figure is quickly sketched in blue, with yellow around the throat and green along the leg. The backgrou...
Category

1990s Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Other Medium

'Go-for Notations' original signed painting on parchment cycling running map
Located in Milwaukee, WI
In the acrylic painting 'Go-for Notations,' American artist Reginald K. Gee presents a humorous narrative in his unmistakable Neo-Expressionist style: a character, a man wearing a he...
Category

1990s Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Parchment Paper, Acrylic

"Toda Raba #5, " Abstract Yellow & Black Acrylic on Canvas signed by Reginald Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Toda Raba #5" is an original painting by Reginald K. Gee signed in the lower right hand corner. 20" x 24" Contemporary African American and Native American Hertiage Artist, Regina...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Toda Raba #4, " Abstract Acrylic on Canvas signed Reginald K Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Toda Raba #4" is an original acrylic painting on canvas by Reginald K. Gee, signed in the lower right hand corner. Centered in the canvas is a history of brushstrokes forming an exp...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Toda Raba #2, " Black Abstract Acrylic on Canvas signed by Reginald K Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Toda Raba #2" is an original acrylic painting on canvas by Reginald K. Gee, signed in the lower right hand corner. Cool colors pool themselves at the center, reminiscent of marble. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Toda Raba #6, " Acrylic on Canvas signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Toda Rada #6" is an original acrylic painting on canvas by Reginald K. Gee, signed in the lower right hand corner. Green hues fight with hits of black and white at the center of the...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

"Isaiah II--Quaspace for Cow, " Acrylic on Canvas Abstract by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Isaiah II--Quaspace For Cow" is an original acrylic painting on canvas by Reginald K. Gee. It depicts a cow in yellow, a graph, a landscape, and a bubble of text. The artist signed ...
Category

Early 2000s Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Canvas

"Toda Raba #7, " Acrylic Abstract on Panel signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Toda Raba #7" is an original acrylic painting by Reginald K. Gee, signed in the lower right hand corner. The panel has a textured surface that brings out the expressionist movements...
Category

2010s Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic, Panel

"Toda Raba #1, " Abstract Black Acrylic on Canvas signed by Reginald K Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Toda Raba #1" is an original acrylic painting by Reginald K. Gee signed in the lower right hand corner. 18" x 24" Contemporary African American and Native American Hertiage Artist...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Hatred Ceases for One Day, " Oil Pastel on Rag Board signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Hatred Ceases for One Day" is an original oil pastel drawing on rag board. This piece is signed on the back by the artist Reginald K. Gee. It depicts an abstracted city scene with a...
Category

1990s Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Oil Pastel, Rag Paper

Modern Contemporary Abstract Spiritual Black Artist Tapestry Sunrise Bold Signed
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Spirit Sunrise" is an abstract acrylic painting on canvas by Reginald K. Gee. It includes a red orb at the top of the painting with beige, green, and yellow marks in front of a dark...
Category

Early 2000s Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

"Gary, " an Acrylic on Parchment signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Gary" is an original acrylic painting on parchment signed and dated in the lower right by the artist Reginald K. Gee. It is also signed and dated on verso. This painting depicts a m...
Category

Early 2000s Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Parchment Paper, Acrylic

"Study in Tonal Change, " Acrylic on Canvas signed by Reginald K. Gee
Located in Milwaukee, WI
"Study in Tonal Change" is an abstract Neo-Expressionist acrylic painting on canvas by Reginald K. Gee. It is signed by the artist in the lower right corner. 72" x 66" canvas Regi...
Category

Early 2000s Neo-Expressionist Paintings

Materials

Acrylic

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"Toda Raba #3" is an original acrylic painting on canvas by Reginald K. Gee, signed in the lower right hand corner. An almost aggressive mixing of paint expands from the center of th...
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"Flowers Next To Public Waterfall, " Acrylic on Canvas signed by Reginald K. Gee
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"Hikers Park North, " an Acrylic on Canvas signed by Reginald K. Gee
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Neo-expressionist paintings for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a wide variety of authentic Neo-Expressionist paintings available for sale on 1stDibs. Works in this style were very popular during the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artists have continued to produce works inspired by this movement. If you’re looking to add paintings created in this style to introduce contrast in an otherwise neutral space in your home, the works available on 1stDibs include elements of blue, orange, red, pink and other colors. Many Pop art paintings were created by popular artists on 1stDibs, including Hunt Slonem, Enzio Wenk, Sax Berlin, and Jean Sanglar. Frequently made by artists working with Paint, and Acrylic Paint and other materials, all of these pieces for sale are unique and have attracted attention over the years. Not every interior allows for large Neo-Expressionist paintings, so small editions measuring 1 inches across are also available. Prices for paintings made by famous or emerging artists can differ depending on medium, time period and other attributes. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $39 and tops out at $215,000, while the average work sells for $4,387.

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