Geometric Expressionism

Shapes and colours have quite strong psychological associations. There is a psychological test that is able to define people's personalities on the basis of the shapes that they choose to identify with. The test involves showing people pictures of squares, circles, rectangles, triangles, and squiggly lines, and then asking them to choose one that represents their personality. Each shape has a list of personality attributes associated with them, and these are told to the subjects after they have made their selection. In regards to colours, some tests have found that how people rank colours in order of preference reflects their personality.

The style uses the psychology of shape and colour as a form of expressionism. It involves representing little feelings with a shape or colour and integrating them in a way that the whole is consistent with the feeling.

The use of geometry is one commonality with cubism, by the artistic process and the thoughts involved are significantly different. When pioneered by Picasso and Braque, cubism involved objects being broken up, analyzed, and re-assembled in geometric form. Furthermore, it often involved flattening three dimensions into two. By putting things in geometric form, the emotion can be stripped away, much like an engineer can destroy emotions by categorising or analysing them. To express emotion, colour and form really needs to be unconstrained.

Van Gough

The Horror The Horror

The Fragile State of Being

The Psychologist

Some People Want to Shape Your Mind

Three Barons

Geometric Hand