Wassily Kandinsky was undoubtedly one of the most exciting artists of the twentieth century. He brought an equal passion and commitment to his work as a painter, a theoretician and a teacher of art. After conventional beginnings in Munich, he devoted his intellectual and artistic energies to pioneering new dimensions of expression in art. He ultimately arrived at an abstract style of painting based on the inner properties of colour and form. Although Kandinsky may not be the first truly abstract artist, he was nevertheless the first to experiment with non-representational forms in a logical manner and to develop out of them a homogeneous style. His writings on art, including his ground-breaking work "On the Spiritual in Art", have lost none of their significance, and the Compositions which caused such a furore at the first Blaue Reiter exhibition in 1911 are full of the same dazzling power and modernity today.
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About the Author
Ulrike Becks-Malorny studied free painting in Geneva and art history in Bochum, Germany. Since gaining her doctorate in 1990, she has worked as an exhibition organizer and freelance author.
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Customer Reviews
Most helpful customer reviews
By Kevin Austin
Format:Hardcover
For under $20, an exceptional introduction. Good text, with a clear 'point of view', which is well-balanced.
My only slight reservation is that I find most of the colors slightly dark, although it is hard to know not knowing the originals or their current condition. My point of comparison has to be similar images on the web, some of which have a wider range of color. The painting on the cover is also in the book, and in the book, it is less vivid.
This (of course) will now lead me to buying a book that will cost six times as much, but I remain thankful to Taschen for making so much available for such a reasonable price. And with good writing too.
My only slight reservation is that I find most of the colors slightly dark, although it is hard to know not knowing the originals or their current condition. My point of comparison has to be similar images on the web, some of which have a wider range of color. The painting on the cover is also in the book, and in the book, it is less vivid.
This (of course) will now lead me to buying a book that will cost six times as much, but I remain thankful to Taschen for making so much available for such a reasonable price. And with good writing too.
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
4.9 out of 5 stars
7 reviews
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
The power of art!
Aug 30 2007
By Hiram Gomez Pardo
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover
"The artwork is composed of two elements. The inner and the outer. The inner element, regarded individually, is the emotion that feels the artist' s soul . That emotion is capable to provoke a parallel emotion in the spectator. Generally, while the soul remains bounded to body, only the vibrations will be able to be attracted though the sensation. Hence, the sensation is a bridge from the materialness toward material (artist) and vice versa (spectator). Emotion-Sensation-Work-Sensation- Emotion." (Wassily Kandinsky)
Wassili Kandinski represents by far, one of the highest peaks in what concerns the reinvention and redefinition of art, deeply worried about Theosophy, inaugurated several artistic movements in pursuit of new forms of expression. Indeed, his memories from Moscow, his unforgettable impressions from the childhood, generated a vigorous inner creator impulse that would become a true driving force.
The text describes with zealous detail, his metamorphoses in Munich since 1896 to 1911, his decisive meet with Gabriele Munter, his settlement in Murnau, as well as his breakthrough toward the abstraction "The blue rider" his interlude in Russia 1914-1921, his fruitful period in Bauhaus 1922-1933 until his last stage: the bio-morph abstraction in Paris 1934-1944.
That febrile disposition respect the perpetual innovation, the same fact he could live in worlds so opposite (October 1917, respect the new tendencies of Paris and Munich as gravity centers of fevered proposals), the sharp contrast between tradition and innovation, the breakthrough of so many paradigms, the Fauvism, Cubism, Impressionism, Constructivism, enlivened in his soul the imperious necessity to transcend the Halls of his art and thence, his concerns for publishing and divulgating his standpoints.
His life was a worthy example of Camus statement. "To create is to live twice" and this book provides of a very ordered sequence, every one of his different stages of transformation.
Highly recommended.
Wassili Kandinski represents by far, one of the highest peaks in what concerns the reinvention and redefinition of art, deeply worried about Theosophy, inaugurated several artistic movements in pursuit of new forms of expression. Indeed, his memories from Moscow, his unforgettable impressions from the childhood, generated a vigorous inner creator impulse that would become a true driving force.
The text describes with zealous detail, his metamorphoses in Munich since 1896 to 1911, his decisive meet with Gabriele Munter, his settlement in Murnau, as well as his breakthrough toward the abstraction "The blue rider" his interlude in Russia 1914-1921, his fruitful period in Bauhaus 1922-1933 until his last stage: the bio-morph abstraction in Paris 1934-1944.
That febrile disposition respect the perpetual innovation, the same fact he could live in worlds so opposite (October 1917, respect the new tendencies of Paris and Munich as gravity centers of fevered proposals), the sharp contrast between tradition and innovation, the breakthrough of so many paradigms, the Fauvism, Cubism, Impressionism, Constructivism, enlivened in his soul the imperious necessity to transcend the Halls of his art and thence, his concerns for publishing and divulgating his standpoints.
His life was a worthy example of Camus statement. "To create is to live twice" and this book provides of a very ordered sequence, every one of his different stages of transformation.
Highly recommended.
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great book at great price
April 19 2010
By Seech
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
This book was out of stock at Taschen and Amazon for a while and finally it is in stock again. I bought one right away. Great book with Kandinsky's biography and reproductions of good quality. I would recommend this book to any one who appreciates his art.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
excellent value for this price
Sep 15 2010
By frances
- Published on Amazon.com
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
An excellent book for this price range; the reproductions are of a good quality and a nice size for viewing, many featuring a brief analysis or description of the work. This makes the book ideal for the casual reader(like myself) who likes to randomly flick through pages and enjoy the paintings; as well as for those more inclined to read books from cover to cover. At this price you will not be disappointed.
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4.9 out of 5 stars
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