Kandinsky's BLUE MOUNTAIN

Blue Mountain~ 1908-09

Today's spotlight shines on Kandinsky's "Blue Mountain" (Der Blaue Berg).  This painting shows his transitioning toward an abstract style by the way he uses color and form to stir up emotion and movement.  Notice how it features bold colors, swirling lines and shape.

Again, he paints horses and riders that represent his desire to move beyond realistic art.  We can see his style becoming more abstract.    

Painting was deeply spiritual for Kandinsky.  He sought to express spirituality and the depth of human emotion through a universal visual language of abstract forms and colors that broke through the traditional boundaries.  He felt it was his purpose in life to share universal emotions with the world for the betterment of humanity.  He worked to produce spiritually-rich paintings for the eyes like the musicians did for the ears.  Kandinsky wrote:  "Open your ears to music, open your eyes to painting.  And don't think!  Examine yourselves.....when you have heard and seen."

"Color is the keyboard,

 the eyes are the harmonies,

 the soul is the piano with many strings. 

 The artist is the hand that plays,

 touching one key or another, 

to cause vibrations in the soul."

~Kandinsky  

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  Wassily Kandinsky

  It is said that Wassily Kandinsky was gifted with synesthesia...where one sense triggers another.  He repeatedly saw colors when he heard music and vice versa...which greatly influenced his art. 
  
• The color red, he heard as a violin; yellow, as a trumpet; and blue, the sound of a heavenly organ.  
• The first thing we see in the above painting is a bright blue mountain that's framed by a yellow and red object.  Are these objects trees?  or are they simply formless objects left to create a sense of wonder in the viewer?  
• In the foreground we see multicolored riders on horseback charging through the scene.  Do these riders show his intention to move toward a new art style?  one that will allow the viewer to personalize and "feel" his paintings rather than simply looking at and critiquing them?
• Kandinsky developed a theory that art held a spiritual element and that colors had psychological and emotional associations.
• While Wassily Kandinsky wasn't traditionally religious, he was deeply spiritual. He viewed art as a vehicle for expressing profound universal human emotions.
• This study will show us how Kandinsky gradually distanced himself away from conventional art.  By doing that, he revolutionized the world of art.
• The main purpose of abstraction in art is not to tell a story, but to encourage involvement and imagination. It's main objective is to give viewers a personal experience with a painting.  Each person's experience will be completely different, depending on their personality and frame of mind.
• Kandinsky's works are celebrated and collected by museums and galleries worldwide, recognizing their profound force in the development of abstract art.

Tomorrow we'll learn more about this freeing form of art.