Abstract Art

Wassily Kandinsky, born in Moscow, Russia in 1866, began painting as a child when he worked with watercolors. Even then he saw colors as having their own characters and moods. He decided to pursue a career in art in 1896, and went to Munich to study painting in the art school of Anton Azbe, and later at the Academy in Munich. He had learned to speak German from his grandmother, and was familiar with German culture, as were most upper-class Russians.

Kandinsky's earlier sketches and drawings consist of figure studies, designs for the decorative arts, and scenes done in a romantic and fanciful manner. His early development of a distinctive style was determined by graphic production, particularly woodcuts, and by landscape studies of nature. He was inspired mainly by Russian art and his reminiscences of Russia.

Kandinsky's liking of Neo-Impressionist art and symbolism attracted him to Paris, from where he emerged with an interest in Fauvism and a more daring and expressive use of color. He assimilated Russian, French, and German art into his personal, artistic means of expression. Kandinsky was also influenced by stained glass painting resulting in his use of resplendently glowing colors. His vibrant harmonies allude to Fauve work.

In his paintings Kandinsky sought to express inner meanings or impulses. He moved away from the external world in abandoning narrative or representational art, which allowed the internal and spiritual side to manifest itself more clearly. To Kandinsky, form is the expression of inner content. He wrote, "Whatever arises from internal, spiritual necessity is beautiful," (Barnett 26). Vestiges of many images are united within the canvas as he frees himself from a naturalistic manner of representation and organization. This results in a combination of unrelated and fantastic elements.

Kandinsky sought to paint images of inner character and inner reality. He responded to artistic surroundings after incorporating new directions which were compatible with his style. Throughout his work he maintained a commitment to abstraction and his original pictorial organizational method. He wrote, "My aim is: to create by pictorial means, which I love above all other artistic means, pictures that as purely pictorial objects have their own, independent, intense life," (Barnett 55). Kandinsky explored new images and compositions while inventing new forms to express inner content, for which he relied upon intuition and feeling.

Kandinsky's works may be found in private collections worldwide, and in museums including the Guggenheim Museum, New York and the Musee National d'Art Moderne, Paris. ...

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