Page 49 - Studio International - February 1974

pure feeling'6 and insisting on the works is being printed ('Malevich/
importance of 'unconscious ecrits' edited by Andrei B. Nakov,
edition Champ Libre, Paris 1974). It
inspiration'— 'mystical almost
comprises, in addition to texts already
surrealist manner'7 the interpretation
published, certain unpublished
of Malevich is led into the literary blind
writings, still in manuscript form.
alley of a falsely analytical and
2 Among the oil paintings, only the
predominantly literary-philosophical canvas of the Riklis collection
discourse. The evasiveness and (Samovar 1913) is missing from
imprecision of the language set Andersen's catalogue. The
themselves up immediately as a importance of this work being rather
barrier to the understanding of non- secondary, it is understandable that
the Guggenheim Museum did not feel
objective art. It is sad to realize that
it necessary to reproduce it on a
even the reading of Malevich's texts
separate sheet.
remains conditioned by this elliptical
Similarly a drawing from the
discourse. Once and for all we must
McCrory collection in New York
realize that this criticism lacks seems to us to be hung upside down.
conceptual tools, which would allow 4 At the Salon of the Independents,
a factual approach to Malevich's Paris 1914, Matiushin exhibited under
painting. In these articles, it is never a the Numbers 2227 and 2228 organic
matter of the concept of ploskost shapes—tree roots—which were
(plane surface) which defines all titled The First Man and Dancer. For
more information on Matiushin,
suprematist painting and itself allows
reference can be made to my text for
access to the analysis of non- the catalogue Tatlin's Dream London,
objective art. Equally, we encounter
1973, Fischer Fine Art as well as to the
no mention of the social orientation of article by Jindrich Chalupecki
Suprematism, for that would have 'Moscow Diary' in Studio
dimmed the too facile 'mystic' image. International, April, 1973, p. 90
M. Matiushin Colour study from the cycle Widened Vision 1926-27. Guggenheim Museum, At that moment we should see the and 91.
New York
first non-objective painter who, 5 Those published during the artist's
instead of making his own forgeries lifetime are pointed out by Andersen
(p.134), others still remain in
(reproductions today called
manuscript form. Among the latter,
'serigraphs' or 'multiples', what does it
there are several theoretical texts as
matter), devoted himself to
well as notes on the history of Russian
architecture and theory, simply Futurism, of which Matiushin was one
pictorial, sociological and of the principal exponents and
philosophical. patrons.
It is not by denying the past nor by 6See the article by the organizer of the
trying to proceed to its recuperation exhibition Diane Waldmann 'Kazimir
Malevich : the supremacy of pure
under a false label that sparkle will
feeling' in Arts Magazine, Dec., 1973,
again be given to a certain formalism
p. 24-29.
of today. Contemporary painting will
7 See John Bowlt. 'Malevich's
not reach its own maturity by rapidly
journey into the non-objective world'
disposing of its 'Oedipus complex.' A in Art News, Dec.. 1973, p.16-22.
fake assimilation of the pictorial past This article stands out, however, by
only serves to perpetuate the the effort to emphasize the symbolist
literarizing confusion in which a sources in Malevich's thought and
large part of current criticism is remains, for the time being, the only
valid critical contribution aroused by
submerged. Perhaps the struggle
against the verbal inflation of today the exhibition. However, it is difficult
not to notice the literary emphasis
would be made easier by beginning leading the author as far as the
(From left to right) Standing: unknown, Malevich, Maria Ender, Mansourov,
with a real understanding of the
Matiushin, Mitouvich, unknown; sitting, Ksenia Ender, Grinberg surprising word of 'Surrealism'. Even if
postulates of Malevich's work, in we understand the special
the beginning of the 30s by appears in the choice of the only whose wake a large part of the Interpretation that a literary historian
Matiushin's pupils, Maria, Ksenia and public lecture which accompanies it at painting of our century is situated. like John Bowlt can give to this term,
Boris Ender. Like Malevich's system, the museum. It is ironic that this task Andrei B. Nakov we cannot divorce it entirely from
the pictorial doctrine to which it
Matiushin's went beyond the was given to George Rickey, disciple Footnotes
inevitably alludes for an art historian.
limits of the easel to move towards the of a certain neo-constructivism, in the 1 A French edition of Malevich's
sociology of colour, and even broke confusion of which Malevich would
Malevich's coffin, design by his pupil Sujetin in 1935
out of the pictorial system to move have difficulty in recognizing his own
into the domain of solely mental ideas.
structures : some of Matiushin's Similarly it is perhaps time to free
pupils at the beginning of the 30s were Malevichian Suprematism from the
to take part in experiments at the Brain hasty amalgam of geometric
Institute in Leningrad. abstraction, a term not only
From his first theoretical manuscript inadequate for non-objective
on the 'sign', several texts by painting, but also, by its conceptual
Matiushin5 map out the path of these platitude, preventing any serious
researches which will one day enable discussion.
us to understand this very The first articles which appeared in
interesting painter and theoretician. New York on the occasion of this
This is why it is a great pity that in exhibition underline the lack of
dealing hurriedly with the subject, the information, as well as a critical
Guggenheim Museum has avoided tendency whose falsely recuperative
the chance of provoking a serious mechanism is in urgent need of
discussion on the subject, a suppression. For American criticism
discussion which should bring other runs the risk of swamping Malevich's
information and enable Andersen's thought in the mould of a negative
work to be completed. mysticism, easy to criticize from the
This lack of historical and critical formalist platform which seems to be
perspective which accompanies the compulsory today. In speaking
first Malevich show in the USA, also preferentially about 'the supremacy of