Abstraction is an extremely controversial form of art due to the understandings of if it was a true representational form of art. Representation of art has changed dramatically through time, forcing artists to become more original. Representation of art started off being extremely literal; slowly artists changed the form of art that was considerably literal to a nonrepresentational form of art we now know as abstraction. Wassily Kandinsky is a unique and unusual artist. He is known as the first abstract artist who used form, color, shape, and line to symbolize emotion and create extraordinary visual compositions. In my research paper, I will be focusing on Kandinsky’s Composition VII (7) 1913. This piece of work exemplifies Kandinsky’s belief of how color and form can evoke sight, sound, and emotion. This artwork represents Kandinsky’s process of using forms and color to create meaning. He focused on creating a non-representational work that visually represented music.
Kandinsky was considered a synaesthete, which meant he could visualize sound. Due to his capability of visualizing sound, he began focusing on abstraction. In Kandinsky’s earlier works, he used his artistic ability to create representational pieces of art. His recognizable art subjects changed around 1911, because he wanted to use his interesting gift as a way to appreciate the concept of sound as a form of art on canvas.
Intriguing questions regarding this piece of artwork include, “How did Kandinsky’s synesthesia change the process of his artwork?” “How is Kandinsky’s use of abstraction relate to other abstract artists such as Pollock, Klee, and Mondrian?”, and “How did this gift inspire the forms of abstractions other artists use?”. Artists in today’s generation who have synesthesia believe it is not a disorder but an asset.” Kandinsky is the first known abstract artist who expressed his synesthesia as an asset. Jackson Pollock relates to Kandinsky through his major role in abstraction. Pollock’s art was created through action. Piet Mondrian relates to Kandinsky by focusing on simplification, form and tone; which is very similar to Kandinsky’s focus’s. Paul Klee is an abstract artist who focuses on music to create his art. My main focus of this paper is to compare these abstract artists understanding and interpretation of art and how it related to Kandinsky’s art that relates to his synesthesia. Composition VII is a piece of artwork that changed the entire abstract artist family.
Composition VII by Wassily Kandinsky was created in 1913 while he was living in Munich. The painting was considered his magnum opus. The painting was created when Kandinsky was a part of a group called the Blue Rider. Other artists who belonged to this group include Franz Marc and Alexej von Jawlensky. This group argued that abstract art contains as much validity as representational art. Another argument of The Blue Rider states that art should “express spiritual truths”. The Blue Rider were involved in the Expressionist movement and stood with the Expressionist movements thoughts and theories. As stated earlier, Kandinsky had synesthesia. This rare capability he possessed linked him for a passion of music. He then interconnected his art to music using words such as “improvisations” and “compositions” to describe his works of art. Composition VII is one of seven Composition paintings. The first three of the series was destroyed during World War II. Composition II has been called operatic relating to the fact Kandinsky believed paintings can evoke sounds. Since Kandinsky was considered a synesthate (when he heard music he would see colors), he also believed that colors could convey sound. Having the viewer unintentionally experience the role of sound through color was one of the main motives of the piece. In Kandinskys’ “Recollections” from 1913 he describes that a performance by Richard Wagner’s Lohengrin is the source of inspiration for his vision of abstraction through vibrant colors and movement.
During his Expressionist phase during the years of Der Blaue Reiter his interest in music was the key factor that allowed himself to be free and independent into leaving out the representational form of objects in his previous paintings. This piece of art was created to represent art through abstraction. He developed a language of art by using form and color to evoke emotion and movement. As one might look at this piece of artwork and just notice a plethora of vibrant colors and abstract shapes, the subject of the art is not easy to address. Yet, this is exactly what Kandinsky wanted his audience to notice. Composition VII was very carefully planned for many months before he even finished the piece. He created over thirty sketches using watercolor and oil paints. He then photographed each sketch as he crafted his brainstorming techniques. The design of Composition V II has been described as “vortex-like” due to the vibrant colors in comparison to the intense black marks on the canvas. When looking at the design of the piece our eyes merely cannot pick on place to focus and we tend to interestingly gaze around the entire canvas. The energetic color scheme was meticulously planned to somehow harmonize together. This piece of art created the foundation to his nonrepresentational forms of art. The exact subject matter of this piece is still not exactly known but we do know this masterpiece was created simply through color and shape to evoke unexplainable emotion.
Paul Klee and Kandinsky were both associated with the avant-garde movements including the Blue Rider and the Bauhaus. They both are also considered to be the founding fathers of abstract art and are thought of having the greatest friendships of modern art. Although they both were extremely close as friends and their beliefs were the same when it came to the art culture, their unanimity is far more diverse as it seems. Klee’s mission was to develop a nonobjective style of painting capable of conveying “spiritual values”. In contrast, Kandinsky on the other hand was a painter who’s artistic element was focused mostly on color which he associated with a wide range of physiological effects. Like Kandinsky, Klee also saw an importance of music in art. Klee was an exceptional violinist and loved to attend operas. Due to Klee’s love for music he considered the possibility of creating the relationship between painting and music. Many of his paintings are music-oriented based specifically on rhythm, music, and sound. For example, Klee’s In the Style of Bach (1919). This piece of art was created because of Klee’s love for Bach’s music. It has been interpreted as visual “scores” in which are abstracted by the artist. Klee created a musical quality of his own through this piece of art. The chromatic gradations of In the Style of Bach (1919) can be easily compared to Kandinsky’s Composition VII. This piece was an oil transfer drawing and water color on prime linen on cardboard. Both of these artworks were directly created through the concept of music. While Kandinsky was a synesthate, Klee on the other hand was not. The fact that Kandinsky used a plethora of colors in Composition VII can help the viewer conclude that he indeed saw various vibrant colors throughout his synesthetic episodes. In contrast, Klee used a somewhat monochromatic pallet of colors when he created his piece based on Bach’s music. Similar colors are used in each of these artworks. The same teal color that overpowers the linen canvas of Klee’s In the Style of Bach can be seen as used very sparsely in Composition VII. As well as light blue and yellow. Each composition contained shapes, lines, and forms in which leave the viewer astonished in theory. The main symbols and structures of both pieces are in a dark color such as black in Composition VII and brown in In the Style of Bach.
Jackson Pollock is another artist in which carried on into the abstract expressionist movement. He is famously known for his drip paintings. Like Kandinsky, Pollock created his art by using the expression of art in a non-representational way. The diversity of Pollock’s art conveys the meaning of abstraction through action. He is famous for his “drip” style paintings. Most millennials look at his art and think of it as a child’s masterpiece but, Pollock is the one who created the drip, action style paintings into a genius movement. Kandinsky’s art was indeed abstract but compared to Pollock’s art, plan was the biggest contrasting factor between their styles. Pollock simply did not use line, shapes or form to create his abstract pieces. While Kandinsky used the sound of music to create his art, Pollock literally performed when he crafted his art. When creating his work, he would lay out an extremely large piece of canvas on the ground, stretch it with a wood frame, and throw paint onto the canvas. After people saw how he created his work they came up the name “action painting” to call his signature style. Pollock’s Convergence (1952) is one of his many famous drip paintings. This painting uses various amount of vibrant oil paint. The action painting created unintended forms, lines, shapes and textures. Convergence (1952) was made to create free speech and expression because at the time this painting was made the United States of America took the hazard of Communism. Like Kandinsky’s composition VII the exact significance of Convergence (1952)is unknown. Yet, the viewer of these pieces understand that the abstract from of art was dictated to show expression and evoke feelings through the different colors and forms the piece of art had to offer.