Kazimir Malevich
IN TERMS OF LOOKING AT THE ARTIST
HIMSELF...(His life)
- He was born in Kiev, and spent most of his
young life in Ukraine
- Polish background
- Born 23 February 1879 >> It was around this
time that the Russian avant-garde art movement
began to flourish.
- He upheld the art movement SUPREMATISM
Throughout his whole life
- Art making: Painting.
- His peasant childhood lead him to associate
with other peasant supremacist artists around
1915's-1916's
* The Russian avant garde was a broad term for:
- futurism
- symbolism
- Suprematism (established by Malevich in 1915)
= referring to supremacy of feeling over all
other artistic considerations
**In 1915 he published his manifesto From
Cubism to Suprematism
HE WAS INFLUENCED BY...
- Cubism
- As well as clarified artworks which utilised
outlining
His SUPERMATISM approach was composed of
making artworks using geometric shapes,
outlines, and colour.
But also, during his artistic career, he was
fascinated by aerial photography, and flying >>
led him to create abstractions inspired by aerial
landscapes.
*** It’s good to note that by the end of his
artistic career, Suprematism (popular before
Stalin came into power) clashed with SOCIALIST
REALISM approved by the soviet union >> lead
to the end of his career and his death (Poverty)
HE WAS MOTIVATED AT ONE POINT WHEN... he
was a part of the 'DONKEY'S TAIL' Russian artistic
group during around 1911-1913. The group
included other artists including: Natalia
Gontcharova (Cyclist, 1913), and Marc Chagall (I
and the Village, 1911). They were influenced by
the CUBO FUTURISM MOVEMENT (Malevich
developed this style (seen in the knife grinder)
but abandoned for Suprematism.
Malevich's exhibitions with the donkeys tail and
'the blue rider' made him an established artist
>>>MODERNIST CULTURE BEGAN TO EVOLVE
AROUND THE 1915's = new artistic form
SUPERMATISM would become acceptable
* A good thing to also note is Malevich’s first
experiments with geometric forms as seen in his
famous works:
- Black square (1915)
- Black circle (1915)
~ Simplicity of the basic geometric shapes
signified his new approach to art, and
'monochromatic' Suprematism. These works
were seen as his most significant pieces which
not only changed art but became a breakthrough
in his iconic career.
Malevich's development of Suprematism became
a significant leading force to the development of
RUSSIAN constructivism {"refers specifically to a
group of artists who sought to move beyond the
autonomous art object, extending the formal
language of abstract art into practical design
work"-OXFORD/MOMA} which was established
from the 1920's (the end of K.M.'s career)
Key points to add:
- Kazimir Malevich was a Russian painter,
printmaker, decorative artist and writer
- One of the pioneers of abstract art
- From the mid-1950s his work/legacy renewed
influence on the paintings of Ad Reinhardt and
on developments such as Zero, Hard-edge
painting and Minimalism
Sources:
http://www.moma.org/collection/artist.php?artist_
id=3710
and wikipedia
* From using key points >>> Turn into art
frames/conceptual
When responding to the question =
CONCEPTUAL FRAMEWORK.