Kandinsky sought his answer through
a conceptual reductionism, which continued the Post–Impressionist’s simplicity
and childlike conveyance of the essence of a thing. However, his goal was to
identify spiritual context and how to convey that energy in art.
He illustrates this aesthetic in
the form of a triangle (or what I would call a “sociology triangle”): the base
of the triangle is the world of government and politics, further up toward the
apex are the sciences, and then at the top are religion and philosophy. Kandinsky
seems to associate advancement up this triangle with the possession of hidden
or exclusive insight. Unfortunately, this understanding reduces the desired
spiritual acquisition to a Gnostic practice: a human or natural attempt to
reach the supernatural through special knowledge.
In particular, he found music to
embody the purity of abstraction and deliberately combined that aspect of
abstraction into the visual art of painting. Kandinsky proposes a compelling
argument: one doesn’t value music because the sounds remind him of or imitate
sounds from nature. So, why should we require that visual art images imitate
the world of nature?
On a personal note, I believe that
music and visual art also run parallel in terms of their audience appreciation.
For example, a culture that is enamored with one-dimensional pop music is not
likely to engage a piece of art with much more than a taste for pablum.
The author refers to both the
“sound of colors”, an undeniable association of instrumental tone and visual
hue, and the “psychic effect” of color. The latter is equally as accepted due
to numerous experiments showing the impact of various colors on the
human psyche. Kandinsky concludes that there must be a link between color and a
corresponding spiritual vibration in the soul.
In the next chapter, the author
analyzes form and color in regard to a “spiritual” vocabulary. He again
emphasizes the advantage that abstract composition has in communicating this
inner vibration. Although there are absolute principles that must apply, the challenge of creating ideal harmony within a composition is that the variable
design elements impose a state of flux on the process; one alteration starts a
chain reaction affecting everything else in that composition.
The inner need of the artist for
spiritual harmony is built on three “mystical” elements: 1) individual
expression (personality), 2) period and societal characteristics
(style), and 3) preservation of the timeless impact of art (pure artistry).
The following two quotes illustrate the application of these elements. “Every artist chooses, from the forms which reflect his own time, those which are sympathetic to him, and expresses himself through them. So the subjective element is the definitive and the external expression of the inner, objective element.” (p. 34).
The following two quotes illustrate the application of these elements. “Every artist chooses, from the forms which reflect his own time, those which are sympathetic to him, and expresses himself through them. So the subjective element is the definitive and the external expression of the inner, objective element.” (p. 34).
“It is impossible to theorize about
this ideal of art. In real art, theory does not precede practice, but follows
her. Everything is, at first, a matter of feeling.” (p. 35)
At this point I must clarify an
ontological distinction between soul and spirit. Kandinsky consistently uses
language associated with the soul level. For him, the deeper things are just
feelings that are hard to put into words. His charts on form and color theory
are helpful, but their application never seems to get beyond the soulish. He
alludes to this shortcoming on page 47, when mentioning the limitation of
simple nerve stimulation, but appears to only see the distinction between mind
and soul (which, in Biblical terms, are in very close association as compared
to the separation between soul and spirit).
The following quote sums up
Kandinsky’s thesis, “Painting is an art, and art is not vague production,
transitory and isolated, but a power which must be directed to the improvement
and refinement of the human soul…to, in fact, the raising of the spiritual
triangle.” (p. 54)
The author admonishes the artist to
take this duty seriously. His talent requires it. And he must understand the
influence he has on the spiritual atmosphere of his greater community.
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A personal update: my art production has been put on hold due to a pending living situation. If I'm to remain in my RV and work out of the 8x10 cargo trailer, I'll need to install a portable AC unit (although, I guess that dripping sweat on my art could qualify as part of the mixed media!). Of course, finding a more suitable studio space is a goal.
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