Egon Schiele, Standing male figure (self-portrait), 1914. Photograph © National Gallery in Prague 2017

LIVERPOOL.- Tate Liverpool presents an exhibition that highlights the expressive nature of the human body, seen through the eyes of two influential and innovative artists. Life in Motion combines the work of radical Austrian expressionist Egon Schiele (1890 – 1918) and American photographer Francesca Woodman (1958 – 1981), and investigates their incredible ability to capture and suggest movement to create dynamic, extraordinary compositions. 

Working at either end of the twentieth century, Woodman’s photographs help to refocus how we see the work of Schiele, highlighting how the latter’s practices and ideas continue to have a relevance to contemporary art. Renowned for their nude portraits and self-portraits, Schiele and Woodman lay bare their subjects’ raw emotional state and physical tensions in intimate and unapologetic work. 

Francesca Woodman, Eel Series, Venice, Italy, 1978. Photograph: © Courtesy of Charles Woodman/Estate of Francesca Woodman

Life in Motion: Egon Schiele/ Francesca Woodman sheds new light on the intensity and passion shared and conveyed by these two artists, whose approaches have resulted in the portrayal of candid moments. Schiele used quick marks and sharp minimal lines to reflect the animated energy of his models, while Woodman employed long exposures to create a blurred image that captures extended yet unsteady moments in time. The exhibition offers the viewer a close and intimate encounter with these personal and powerful works. 

Ten years on from Tate Liverpool’s acclaimed Gustav Klimt exhibition, the gallery showcases the works of his protégé, Schiele, on the 100th anniversary of his death. The exhibition offers a rare opportunity to see a large number of his drawings in the North of England, bringing attention to the artist’s technical virtuosity, distinctive vision and unflinching depictions of the human figure.