Kandinsky. Complete Writings on Art. Volume 1 (1901-1921) & Volume 2

by Wassily Kandinsky

Of all the giants of twentieth-century art, Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944) was the most prolific writer. Here, available for the first time in paperback, are all of Kandinsky's writings on art, newly translated into English. Editors Kenneth C. Lindsay and Peter Vergo have taken their translations directly from Kandinsky's original texts, and have included select interviews, lecture notes, and newly discovered items along with his more formal writings. The pieces range from one-page essays to the book-length treatises On the Spiritual in Art (1911) and Point and Line to Plane (1926), and are arranged in chronological order from 1901 to 1943. The poetry, good enough to stand on its literary merits, is presented with all the original accompanying illustrations. And the book's design follows Kandinsky's intentions, preserving the spirit of the original typography and layout.Kandinsky was nearly thirty before he bravely gave up an academic career in law for his true passion, painting. Though his art was marked by extraordinarily varied styles, Kandinsky sought a pure art throughout, one which would express the soul, or "inner necessity," of the artist. His uncompromising search for an art which would elicit a response to itself rather than to the object depicted resulted in the birth of nonobjective art—and in these writings, Kandinsky offered the first cogent explanation of his aims. His language was characterized by its desire for vivification, of the infusion of life into mundane things.Considered as a whole, Kandinskyâ€s writings exceed all expectations of what an artist should accomplish with words. Not only do his ideas and observations make us rethink the nature of art and the way it reflects the aspirations of his era, but they touch on matters vital to the situation of the human soul.

Genres: Art, Art History, Nonfiction, Philosophy

Hardcover

First published January 1, 1980

About the author

Wassily Wassilyevich Kandinsky was a Russian painter, and Art theorist. He is credited with painting the first modern abstract works.
Born in Moscow, Kandinsky spent his childhood in Odessa. He enrolled at the University of Moscow and chose to study law and economics. Quite successful in his profession—he was offered a professorship (chair of Roman Law) at the University of Dorpat—he started painting studies (life-drawing, sketching and anatomy) at the age of 30.
In 1896 he settled in Munich and studied first in the private school of Anton Azbe and then at the Academy Of Fine Arts in Munich. He went back to Moscow in 1914 after World War I started. He 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, and became a French citizen in 1939. He died at Neuilly-sur-Seine in 1944.

Reviews

[Lluis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Por ahora he leido "On the spiritual in art".

Muy bien, explica varias cosas

[Jason Gellis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jesus, Kandinsky! Stop writing about art. This book collect everything Kandinsky wrote about art and is over 900 pages long. It includes a good deal of poetry and wood cuts. For anyone looking to understand abstract and non-representational art you can't do much better than this doorstop sized tome. Kandinsky started relatively late (in his 30's) and describes his artistic process/thinking in great detail. Unlike most pretentious artists today Kandinsky is more than happy to discuss his abstract works and theories of color and composition. Abstract art is not a mystery folks! What is now, for the most part obnoxious, was once a vibrant, intellectually thought out, and controversial movement/style which challenged the art world. Kandinsky calls on future artist to NOT duplicate that abstract art movement, to NOT duplicate what he was doing, rather to find new ways. Oh well, I guess pre-mo is po-mo as the kids love to say.

[Jules · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was basically my Bible for a year while I was writing my master's thesis on Kandinsky. An excellent source of Kandinsky's writings well structured and great introduction. After letting this book sit on my shelf for about a year, I began to review it again and I have new found appreciation for the complexity of Kandinsky's ideas and how they reflected avant-garde tendencies that spanned his prolific artistic career.

[Tom Brannigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a surprise. I really didn't think I could wade through this volume without being side tracked by something more tempting, but this is a great read. After reading a number of letters that Kandinsky wrote to Arnold Schoenberg, I knew the fellow could write. He has to be one of the most persuasive, articulate, originals ever to have picked up the pen, especially for a man involved in the visual arts.

[Jez · Rating 5 out of 5]

did the art history part of my BFA thesis on Kandinsky. This huge book has all you will ever need to read by the man himself.

[Anna]

To complete my collection/encounters with Kandinsky's writing.

[Alexander · Rating 3 out of 5]

kandinsky was a brilliant economist, theosophist, and sophist - he made a market in art that still holds sway over our understanding of art...