wassily wassilyevich kandinsky

7/30/2019 Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky

1/6

Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky

Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky (16 December 186613 December 1944) was an

influential Russian painterand art theorist. He is credited with painting the first purely-

abstract works. Born in Moscow, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at

the University of Moscow, studying law and economics. Successful in his professionhe wasoffered a professorship (chair of Roman Law) at the University of Dorpathe began painting

studies (life-drawing, sketching and anatomy) at the age of 30.

In 1896 Kandinsky settled in Munich, studying first atAnton Abe's private school and then at

the Academy of Fine Arts. He returned to Moscow in 1914, after the outbreak of World War I.

Kandinsky was unsympathetic to the official theories on art in Moscow, and returned to

Germany in 1921. There, he taught at the Bauhaus school of art and architecture from 1922

until the Nazis closed it in 1933. He then moved to France where he lived the rest of his life,

becoming a French citizen in 1939. He died at Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1944.

Wassily Kandinsky was one of the most original and influential artists of the twentieth-century.His "inner necessity" to express his emotional perceptions led to the development of an

abstract style of painting that was based on the non-representational properties of color and

form. Kandinsky's compositions were the culmination of his efforts to create a "pure painting"

that would provide the same emotional power as a musical composition.

Theoretical Writing

Kandinsky's analyses on forms and colours result not from simple, arbitrary idea-associations

but from the painter's inner experience. He spent years creating abstract, sensorially-rich

paintings, working with form and colour, tirelessly observing his own paintings and those ofother artists, noting their effects on his sense of colour. This subjective experience is something

that anyone can donot scientific, objective observations but inner, subjective ones, what

French philosopherMichel Henry calls "absolute subjectivity" or the

"absolute phenomenological life".

Concerning the Spiritual in Art

Published in 1911, Kandinsky's book compares the spiritual life of humanity to a pyramid; the

artist has a mission to lead others to the pinnacle with his work. The point of the pyramid is

those few, great artists. It is a spiritual pyramid, advancing and ascending slowly even if it

sometimes appears immobile. During decadent periods, the soul sinks to the bottom of the

pyramid; humanity searches only for external success, ignoring spiritual forces.

Colours on the painter's palette evoke a double effect: a purely-physical effect on the eye

which is charmed by the beauty of colours, similar to the joyful impression when we eat a

delicacy. This effect can be much deeper, however, causing a vibration of the soul or an

"inner resonance"a spiritual effect in which the colour touches the soul itself.

"Inner necessity" is, for Kandinsky, the principle of art and the foundation of forms and the

harmony of colours. He defines it as the principle of efficient contact of the form with the

human soul. Everyform is the delimitation of a surface by another one; it possesses an inner

content, the effect it produces on one who looks at it attentively. This inner necessity is the

right of the artist to unlimited freedom, but this freedom becomes licence if it is not founded

on necessity. Art is born from the inner necessity of the artist in an enigmatic, mystical way
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russiahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paintinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoristhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Moscowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Tartuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munichhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_A%C5%BEbehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_A%C5%BEbehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_A%C5%BEbehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_of_Fine_Arts,_Munichhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuilly-sur-Seinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Henryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenological_lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirtualityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_(spirit)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shapehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soul_(spirit)http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pyramidhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Spirtualityhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phenomenological_lifehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michel_Henryhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Neuilly-sur-Seinehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazismhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bauhaushttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/World_War_Ihttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Academy_of_Fine_Arts,_Munichhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anton_A%C5%BEbehttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munichhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Tartuhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Roman_Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Economicshttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lawhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/University_of_Moscowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Odessahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Moscowhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstract_arthttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Theoristhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paintinghttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Russia


2/6

through which it acquires an autonomous life; it becomes an independent subject,

animated by a spiritual breath.

The obvious properties we can see when we look at an isolated colourand let it act alone;

on one side is the warmth or coldness of the colour tone, and on the other side is the clarity

or obscurity of that tone. Warmth is a tendency towards yellow, and coldness a tendency

towards blue; yellow and blue form the first great, dynamic contrast. Yellow has

an eccentric movement and blue a concentricmovement; a yellow surface seems to move

closer to us, while a blue surface seems to move away. Yellow is a typically terrestrial colour,

whose violence can be painful and aggressive. Blue is a celestial colour, evoking a deep

calm. The combination of blue and yellow yields total immobility and calm, which is green.

Clarity is a tendency towards white, and obscurity is a tendency towards black. White and

black form the second great contrast, which is static. White is a deep, absolute silence, full of

possibility. Black is nothingness without possibility, an eternal silence without hope, and

corresponds with death. Any other colour resonates strongly on its neighbors. The mixing of

white with black leads to gray, which possesses no active force and whose tonality is near

that of green. Gray corresponds to immobility without hope; it tends to despair when it

becomes dark, regaining little hope when it lightens.

Red is a warm colour, lively and agitated; it is forceful, a movement in itself. Mixed with black

it becomes brown, a hard colour. Mixed with yellow, it gains in warmth and becomes

orange, which imparts an irradiating movement on its surroundings. When red is mixed with

blue it moves away from man to become purple, which is a cool red. Red and green form

the third great contrast, and orange and purple the fourth.

Point and Line To Plane

In his writings, Kandinsky analyzed the geometrical elements which make up every painting

the point and the line. He called the physical support and the material surface on which theartist draws or paints the basic plane, or BP. He did not analyze them objectively, but from

the point of view of their inner effect on the observer.

A point is a small bit of colour put by the artist on the canvas. It is neither a geometric point

nor a mathematical abstraction; it is extension, form and colour. This form can be a square, a

triangle, a circle, a star or something more complex. The point is the most concise form but,

according to its placement on the basic plane, it will take a different tonality. It can be

isolated or resonate with other points or lines.

A line is the product of a force which has been applied in a given direction: the force

exerted on the pencil or paintbrush by the artist. The produced linear forms may be of

several types: astraight line, which results from a unique force applied in a single direction;

an angularline, resulting from the alternation of two forces in different directions, or

a curved (orwave-like) line, produced by the effect of two forces acting simultaneously.

A plane may be obtained by condensation (from a line rotated around one of its ends).

The subjective effect produced by a line depends on its orientation: a horizontal line

corresponds with the ground on which man rests and moves; it possesses a dark and cold

affective tonality similar to black or blue. A vertical line corresponds with height, and offers

no support; it possesses a luminous, warm tonality close to white and yellow.

A diagonal possesses a more-or-less warm (or cold) tonality, according to its inclination

toward the horizontal or the vertical.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colourhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Colour


3/6

A force which deploys itself, without obstacle, as the one which produces a straight line

corresponds with lyricism; several forces which confront (or annoy) each other form a drama.

The angle formed by the angular line also has an inner sonority which is warm and close to

yellow for an acute angle (a triangle), cold and similar to blue for an obtuse angle (a circle),

and similar to red for a right angle (a square).

The basic plane is, in general, rectangular or square. therefore, it is composed of horizontal

and vertical lines which delimit it and define it as an autonomous entity which supports the

painting, communicating its affective tonality. This tonality is determined by the relative

importance of horizontal and vertical lines: the horizontals giving a calm, cold tonality to the

basic plane while the verticals impart a calm, warm tonality. The artist intuits the inner effect

of the canvas format and dimensions, which he chooses according to the tonality he wants

to give to his work. Kandinsky considered the basic plane a living being, which the artist

"fertilizes" and feels "breathing".

Each part of the basic plane possesses an affective colouration; this influences the tonality of

the pictorial elements which will be drawn on it, and contributes to the richness of the

composition resulting from their juxtaposition on the canvas. The above of the basic plane

corresponds with looseness and to lightness, while the below evokes condensation and

heaviness. The painter's job is to listen and know these effects to produce paintings which are

not just the effect of a random process, but the fruit of authentic work and the result of an

effort towards inner beauty.


4/6

Works

"Composition IV", 1911

Composition IV, a maelstrom of swirling colors and soaring lines. The painting is divided

abruptly in the center by two thick, black vertical lines. On the left, a violent motion is

expressed through the profusion of sharp, jagged and entangled lines. On the right, all is

calm, with sweeping forms and color harmonies. Kandinsky's intention was that our initial

reaction should result from the emotional impact of the pictorial forms and colors. However,

upon closer inspection the apparent abstraction of this work proves illusory. The dividing lines

are actually two lances held by red-hatted Cossacks. Next to them, a third, white-bearded

Cossack leans on his violet sword. They stand before a blue mountain crowned by a castle.

In the lower left, two boats are depicted. Above them, two mounted Cossacks are joined in

battle, brandishing violet sabers. On the lower right, two lovers recline, while above them two

robed figures observe from the hillside. Kandinsky has reduced representation to

pictographic signs in order to obtain the flexibility to express a higher, more cosmic vision. The

deciphering of these signs is the key to understanding the theme of the work. An awareness

of Kandinsky's philosophy leads to a reading of Composition IV as expressing the apocalyptic

battle that will end in eternal peace. Composition IV works on multiple levels: initially, the

colors and forms exercise an emotional impact over the viewer, without need to consider therepresentational aspects. Then, the decoding of the representational signs involves the

viewer on an intellectual level. I find that I can no longer view Composition IV without

automatically translating the imagery to representational forms. Yet this solving of the work's

mysteries does not draw the life from it; rather, the original emotional impact is strengthened

in a new way. An interesting story that indicates Kandinskys intellectual examination in the

creation of his works revolves around this composition. He became exhausted during the

months of studying he went through in preparation for this painting, and decided to go for a

walk. His assistant at the time, Gabrielle Munter, who was tidying up the studio in the artists

absence, inadvertently turned the canvas on its side. Upon Kandinskys return, he saw the

canvas, fell to his knees and began weeping at the beauty of the painting. His newly found

perspective on the piece would change his artistic vision and direction for the rest of his life.
http://www.glyphs.com/art/kandinsky/comp4640.jpghttp://www.glyphs.com/art/kandinsky/comp4640.jpg


5/6

"Composition VIII", 1923

The viewer receives quite a shock in moving from the apocalyptic emotion of Composition

VII to the geometrical rhythm of Composition VIII. Painted ten years later in 1923,

Composition VIII reflects the influence of Suprematism and Constructivism absorbed by

Kandinsky while in Russia prior to his return to Germany to teach at the Bauhaus. Here,

Kandinsky has moved from color to form as the dominating compositional element.

Contrasting forms now provide the dynamic balance of the work; the large circle in the

upper left plays against the network of precise lines in the right portion of the canvas. Note

also how Kandinsky uses different colors within the forms to energize their geometry: a yellow

circle with blue halo versus blue circle with yellow halo; a right angle filled with blue and an

acute angle colored pink. The background also works to enhance the dynamism of the

composition. The design does not appear as a geometrical exercise on a flat plane, but

seems to be taking place in an undefined space. The layered background colors - light blue

at bottom, light yellow at top and white in the middle - define this depth. The forms tend to

recede and advance within this depth, creating a dynamic, push-pull effect.
http://www.glyphs.com/art/kandinsky/comp8640.jpghttp://www.glyphs.com/art/kandinsky/comp8640.jpg


6/6

"Composition X", 1939

Five years before his death in 1944, Kandinsky completed the final work in the series. The

outstanding characteristic of Composition X is obviously the stark, black ground. The colors

and forms appear particularly sharp against the black background. The brilliance of the

colored shapes brings to mind the cutouts done by Matisse over a decade later. The

movement of the forms is distinctly upward and outward from both sides of a central axis

running through the book-like form near the top of the canvas. This movement enhances the

evocation of hot-air balloon forms rising into an infinite space. The round form between the

book shape and the brown balloon shape has a lunar feel to it that even conveys a feeling

of literal "outer space". Kandinsky had always expressed a strong dislike for the color black

and it is significant that he chose it as the dominating color of his last major artistic statement.
http://www.glyphs.com/art/kandinsky/cmp10640.jpghttp://www.glyphs.com/art/kandinsky/cmp10640.jpg

wassily wassilyevich kandinsky

Documents