Page 28 - Studio International - March 1972

Avantgarde Osteuropa 1910-1930, Berlin Kunstverein, Towards a
which Malevich excluded any reproduction or Exhibitions where the manuscript has been shown
imitation of the phenomenal world in favour of
October to November 1967, no. 150.
pure feeling set against a white area of void, 'a The Non-Objective World,1914-1924, Annely Juda minimal art:
"desert" in which nothing can be perceived but Fine Art, London, 3o June to 3o September 1970,
eling'5, feeling that 'here assumed external no. 14. Illustrated. part II
Kunstler-Theorie-Werk, 2nd Biennale, Nurnberg,
form'6. Kunsthalle, 3o April to I August 1971, no. 288.
It is from this 'new and direct form of Art in Revolution, New York Cultural Center, New
representation of the world of feeling'? that York, September to November 1971. Simon Pugh
Art in Revolution, Art Gallery of Ontario, Toronto,
Suprematism evolved. 22 January to 27 February 1972.
(ii) Dynamic Suprematism. The manuscript
shows the development of Suprematism from 1 For a full history of the Berlin exhibition, see
the static square through its three colour phases Andersen, Troels, Malevich, Catalogue raisonné of the
Berlin exhibition1927 Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam
(`black, coloured... and white') and categories 5970, p. 57-8.
(`the static, the dynamic, and the mystical &c.'). 2 See Gray, Camilla, The Great Experiment London
He shows how 'elongated forms of the square' 1962, plate 99.
3 From Essays on Art edited by Troels Andersen 5969,
(a 'progression of the square ... divided into Vol. I., p. 48.
smaller and smaller surfaces' and 'breaking into 4 Malevich ibid p. 27.
irregular parts'), and 'flat forms evolving from 5 Die gegenstandslose Welt Bauhausbücher no. I I,
Munich 5927 (edited by Maholy-Nagy from MSS
squares', create dynamic sensations, eventually while Malevich was in Berlin), translated by H.
developing into 'architectonic form' and the Dearstyne, The Non-objective World, Chicago 1959.
three-dimensional objects begun late in 1919. p. 67. Elsewhere (see Essays in Art ibid Vol I. p. 125)
Malevich states that 'black and white' (ie. the square)
In 1922-3, he started translating these ideas `serve as energy revealing form'.
into plaster of Paris models, using architecture 6 The Non-objective World ibid p. 76.
both as an artistic unifying element (and the 7 ibid.
8 ibid p. 99: `Suprematist elements in space...
basic form from which architecture might Brought to full development in the year 1923'. The first part of this essay discussed the background
evolve) and as a logical extension of his teaching 9 For dating of the cruciform works after 1920, see to Malevich's aesthetics, indicating that his ideas
programme at the then newly formed Institute Malevich ibid p. 63. Troels Andersen suggests there owed much to transcendental and mystical thinking.
that this manuscript might indicate a possible date for
for Artistic Culture in Petrograd. A drawing these works of 'cosmic and mystical sensations', Man's misunderstanding of the phenomenal
which shows the transitional phase from although he dates the manuscript as late as 5927 (see world inclined him towards a world of immaterial
dynamic Suprematism to the architectural premise 4). forms and pure composition, so that once again
10 See Malevich ibid p. 38 and 39: 'Mystical Religious
models, similar to the three sketches in the man can begin to perceive a perfect world. This
Turn of Form' and 'The Mystic'. Compare with The
middle of the second page of this manuscript, Non-objective World ibid p. 95 and 96: ... the feeling part discusses Malevich's aesthetics, especially in
was included in Die gegenstandslose Welt of of a mystic "wave" from outer space' and ...the relation to the problem of imitative art, the
feeling of a mystic will: unwelcome'.
19278. theory of the additional element, and the meaning
11 For religiosity in the later work of Malevich, see
(iii) Mystical Suprematism. In many ways, Malevich ibid p. 36. of non-objectivity.
mystical Suprematism is one of the most 12 In 'Suprematism', Vitebsk 1920, Malevich had
explained the significance of white: 'The Suprematist
interesting developments, since it is possible°
canvas reproduces white, but not blue space. The
that this period belongs to the time when reason is obvious : blue does not give a true impression I IMITATIVE ART
Malevich was most involved with his writing of the infinite. The rays of vision are caught in a By modifying external reality and impressing
cupola and cannot penetrate the infinite. The
and teaching, while at the same time it provides upon it a subjective personality, Hegel believes
Suprematist infinite white allows the optical beam to
a link with the simple figure drawings he did pass without encountering any limit.' Essays in Art that man is able to recognize himself in things
after 193o, the titles of which show a marked ibid Vol. I p. 125. In other words, only white that are external to himself. Similarly human
indicates limitless space.
similarity with some titles used in Die interest is contained in the art work 'more
13 The Non-objective World ibid p. too.
gegenstandslose Welt 10 . Indeed, these later purely and transparently than is possible on
figure drawings make such extensive use of the the soil of common unartistic reality' so that
cruciform element that the cross becomes almost the art work acquires 'higher rank than
a symbol of stigmatization". anything produced by nature'.54 The 'individual
Malevich's writings around this time living thing' of nature is changeable and
indicate a systematization of his work. He saw transitory, whereas the art work persists.55 For
Suprematism at the end of an evolutionary Hegel, art is capable of liberating appearances
process in modern art that started with Cezanne. from the deception of the physical world by
This manuscript is a simple statement of the creating a new and higher reality in the mind—
development of Suprematism towards its beauty is the rebirth of nature in the mind of
culmination in the boundless and limitless man. This mistrust of the phenomena of nature
`whiten suprematist element which gives the and the belief that genuine reality can only lie
sensation of absolute non-objectivity'. Thus the beyond the immediacy of external objects, is
artist is 'no longer bound to the canvas and can fundamental to an understanding of what
transfer his compositions from canvas to Malevich conceives to be the purpose of art. Like
space'13. Hegel, Malevich believes that art is superior to
Although an obvious simplification of nature because what man perceives as reality is
Suprematism, this manuscript does give a clear `distorted images' unrelated to what is actual.
indication of how Malevich assessed this period The illusion which comes about as a direct
of his work at a time when his style was result of such 'distorting reflections of variable
beginning to change. It is also a valuable manifestations of reality .. . has nothing
complementary document to the more widely whatsoever to do with actual matter or even with
known second part of Die gegenstandslose an alteration of it'.56 To imitate nature is to
Welt. copy a 'fiction' for nature is composed of

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