Expressionist lighting is associated with Expressionist Theatre which first appeared in Germany around 1910 as part of the Expressionist movement which was led by painters but also embraced literature, music and theatre. Expressionist painters sought to express emotional experiences rather than impressions of the physical world. Theatrical Expressionism advocated extroverted expression of the internal emotional impact of the play and the subjective reactions of the characters.
Moonlite Alpine Pasture, Kirchner 1919
The espousers of expressionist theatre claim that external reality must be designed to correspond with these internal qualities, even if it destroys their external appearance in the process.
This outlook has direct implications on the scenographic style: normal coloring of objects can change with hues becoming stronger, movement on-stage assumes an unnatural mechanical rhythm, and so on. Expressionist lighting relies on unconventional angles for lighting the actors face and body, distorting them by creating explicit and contrasting light and shadow patterns.
Sweeney Todd, The New Israeli opera.
The use of colored light can be excessive, with a preference for a saturated pallet. Expressionist lighting has a distinct preference for the use of abrupt changes of lighting; brightness is often contrasted by darkness, and contrast prevails in the choice of color and angles of illumination.
Don Giovanni, The New Israeli Opera.
Realistic impressions can prove useful as a point of departure for developing effective Expressionist lighting, which will re-organize and distort the realistic impressions into an expressionist look .
Expressionist tendencies are evident in the lighting of rock and roll concerts. Transitions of lighting states are distinct, gobos, creating a realistic light pattern, are used, and backlighting, through a
mist
filled stage, is used for the singers, giving them halos of light and a distinct visual character, promoting star worship.
