But imagine !
Kandinsky published dozens of articles , essays , essays and autobiographical novel . Where quite detailed his artistic method and outlook. Of course, the "experts" contemptuous chuckle : so he describes forbidden . But Burroughs or Huxley such reasons did not stop . Artist's very little that can stop him if " song will spread the wings ."
Kandinsky , in particular, said that getting rid of the "external" helped him disease. Even as a child , because of the high temperature , he watched a couple of visions. And later relapse cases (within a healthy psyche ) . And with the development of imagination he sought accurate reproduction seen "spiritual landscapes ."
Kandinsky as an artist evolved gradually , changing styles and techniques . "For years I myself seemed monkey , enmeshed in a network - he confided . - It was only after much effort I was able to overturn this " wall on the way to the art ." The development of art , like the development of the intangible knowledge , is not a member of the new discoveries , striking out the old truths and proclaim their delusions . Its development is in a sudden flash , like lightning from explosions like "bouquet" of fireworks in the sky is torn and scattered around a multi-colored stars ... "
The results of his efforts are such that only two Russian artist in the ranking of world art are in the category of "heavyweights" : Kandinsky and Malevich . When in 2007, the organizers of the largest premium ( 40 thousand euros ) in Russian contemporary art decide what name to call it , choose only between the two avant-garde . In favor of Kandinsky, it was claimed , were such arguments : he is a citizen of the world ( lived in Germany and France ) and his painting "Fugue" (1914) held the record price for 17 years - it was sold in 1990 at Sotheby's for $ 19 million .
However, already in 2008, " Suprematist Composition " Malevich was sold for 60 million dollars. "The logic of money " in art - a thing , though influential , but questionable . As told by another Russian- French classic artist - immigrant Oscar Rabin , "If my paintings in the 60s cost an order of magnitude less that they were worse ? Or when the price went up to my work - they have improved ? "
But back to the founder of abstract art.
Kandinsky came to his vocation only thirty years. He was an assistant professor at the Law Faculty . In 1895 Kandinsky refuses a professor at the University of Dorpat Tartu and decides to become an artist- pros. And sent to the "kingdom of modernity" - in Munich .
This decision was preceded by several events.
First, ethnographic expedition to the Vologda region in 1889. " I remember when I first entered the farmhouse - recalled the ex- lawyer - stood in the doorway dead. Tables, benches , stove - all was covered entirely simple, naive ornaments of various colors . On the walls - folk paintings . Red Corner was made taped images and reproductions of icons. When I finally went inside the hut , found himself in the picture. "
Patterns and folk art are symbolic and magical significance . Under the influence of this expedition Kandinsky turn to folklore, epics . Heroes of his paintings temporarily become warriors , dragons and beauty in the headdress . But to perform this work will be in a mosaic Kandinsky Klimt style .
Secondly, Kandinsky shook landscape Monet's " Haystacks " on Impressionist exhibition in Moscow. VV (as in the case of an inverted picture ) realized that there is depicted only read the title . Later, he reinterpreted the new French painting, reflecting the disintegration of the whole picture of the world: from Seurat pointillist dots to the broad strokes of Monet and Cezanne geometrized canvases . In the pictures of the most progressive modernist then Austrian Gustav Klimt's world resembled a mosaic . As we would say now, Kandinsky saw the assemblage point . Additional experience on Kandinsky made the discovery of fission of the atom. The material world is rapidly losing strength ! It turns out that it can be "disassemble" . But what's next ?
Third, Kandinsky struck Wagner's opera "Lohengrin" at the Bolshoi Theatre : then in the minds of the Moscow doctor right sounds distinctly stained in certain colors ...
On a similar path with Kandinsky moved Dutchman Piet Mondrian . Just as Kandinsky , he was fascinated by French fashion spectacular innovations and mystical traditions : theosophy and anthroposophy . But , unlike plastic , receptive music Kandinsky , Piet was cold philosopher. Under his " disintegrating " scenery revealed structure of the world , its "skeleton" in the form of crosses and squares. Mondrian canvases like designer Lego. This world is static .
Kandinsky also fascinated speaker: "Painting has thundering collision of different worlds , designed by the struggle to create a new world, which is called the product . Each product is technically occurs as space originated by disasters such as the chaotic roar of the orchestra, eventually poured into a symphony , whose name - music of the spheres . Creating a product is the universe . "
That is, using paints artist simulates space processes , which are comparable with symphonies . And vice versa. At the intersection of painting and music theorist Kandinsky made an important conclusion: the artist no longer mandatory need to draw from life . It can work , obeying inner impulses : "Work arises entirely " of the artist , " is known in the music for several centuries . In this sense, the painting caught the music. "
Continuing the line of " sounding " paintings, Kandinsky calls his work "songs ", " improvisation " and " fugues ". By the end of 10 -ies of XX century, it starts to produce true masterpieces .
From this semi-abstract " Detail composition IV», or "The Cossacks" (1910). The artist claimed that its plot inspired by the Cossacks , going down the street in 1905.
In the upper left corner of the painting two Cossack saber fight . Right, bottom - stand with peaks . Blue hill far away from the palace. From the viewer to the castle is a bridge in the form of a rainbow . This motif near future Blok 's poem "Twelve" : having passed the crucible of revolution , our citizens will rise over the rainbow - bridge to the spiritual palaces ...
At this time, Kandinsky published his work "On the Spiritual in Art " (1912 ) and made ( along with his friend the German painter Franz Marc ) almanac "Blue Rider" (1912). Was officially declared the era of the Great Spiritual when synthesis of the arts happen , because when there is external differences "inner identity of sound, color , words ." ( In line with these ideas - tsvetomuzykalnye symphonic poems by Alexander Scriabin. )
Already established master Kandinsky in 1914 returned to his homeland .
Franz Marc was killed in the First World shrapnel .
Already smaller " rainbow " of colors in software Kandinsky painting "Moscow . Red Square " (1916). Essentially on canvas - theosophical Planet Moscow (like planets in a fairy tale worlds Exupery "The Little Prince ").
In the center of the canvas man and woman around several areas which are located skyscrapers , churches, cemeteries , river. From the upper corner has a sun through the clouds , from the right - ready to hatch the moon . For a gentle yellow- blue sky starry abyss opens - it is lyrical and mystical painting , illustration seemed to have not written Bulgakov 's novel " Master and Margarita" .
About my favorite city Kandinsky wrote: " Moscow: duality , complexity, the highest degree of mobility , collision and confusion of separate elements of the exterior ... This external and internal Moscow, I think the starting point for my quest. Moscow - my scenic tuning fork . "
October Revolution Kandinsky enthusiastically adopted as the Bolsheviks initially supported leftist movements in art . Social upheavals inspired the artist to create vivid apocalyptic canvases, which seems to be a struggle going on different planes of reality (" Troubles " in 1917 , " Impression ," 1917 , " In the twilight" , 1919).
Kandinsky tried to cooperate with the Soviet regime , but soon realized that he , a descendant of nobles and cosmopolitan , not on the way to the dictatorship of the proletariat. In 1921, he was sent back to Germany.
Abroad, he continues to develop the principles of non-objective painting : his paintings are calm, meditative and balanced. He teaches at the Academy in Weimar Bauhaus . In 1933, the Bauhaus was declared "dangerous nest of Bolshevism" and closed by the Nazis.
Kandinsky emigrated to Paris.
In 1937 fifty works by Kandinsky get to the exhibition in Munich " Degenerate Art ." In France, it Respect : visit often visited by celebrities but with the public to VV interest discreet . Before the war, he received French citizenship.
His paintings of the late 30s are cold and lifeless. Since 1940, he " inhabits " canvases beings smacks of plankton. Perhaps the simplest organisms in these Kandinsky saw the most perfect expression of the laws of cosmic harmony ( as, for example , in the clam shell ) .
He died at his home in the western suburbs of Paris, Neuilly- sur-Seine, 13 December 1944 .
Abstract art boom begins in the 50s , but in the United States.
Representatives of American abstract expressionism ( Archil Gorky, Mark Rothko , Willem de kunig ) Kandinsky call their teacher.
Finally I would like to quote some of the statements of the Master. Painfully good!
Principles of responsibility of the artist for their creations , made by Kandinsky in his book " On the Spiritual in Art" , not lost relevance. And show them the situation in art medium if deducted from our contemporaries.
"Competition" is growing. Wild pursuit of success makes Hunt more external. Small groups who accidentally made their way out of this chaos of artists and artworks, digging in the conquered areas. The remaining audience watching , not realizing loses interest in such art and calmly turns back to him . "
" Sometimes the artist uses his power for indulgence basest needs: in an art form he allegedly depicts impure content , it attracts weak elements constantly mixes them with evil , deceiving people and helps them to deceive themselves , convincing themselves and others that they crave spiritual and satisfy this thirst from a pure source . This kind of work does not help the movement upwards, they inhibit , displace ago pressing forward and spread around the contagion . "
"Artist - minister higher goals , commitments which are accurate, high and holy. He should educate yourself and learn to deepen, must first cultivate the soul and to develop it to his talent became something vestments , and would not have been lost glove with unfamiliar hands - empty and meaningless likeness hands. "
" An artist has a threefold responsibility , compared with non - artist : 1) it must be used productively given him talent, 2) deeds , his thoughts and feelings , as well as any other person , form a spiritual atmosphere , purifying or contaminating the environment , and 3 ) actions, thoughts and feelings are the material for his works , which , in turn, affect the spiritual atmosphere . Artist - "king."
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