Mikhail Matyushin's Contribution to Synthetic Art Author(S): Bulat Galeyev Reviewed Work(S): Source: Leonardo, Vol

Leonardo

Mikhail Matyushin's Contribution to Synthetic Art Author(s): Bulat Galeyev Reviewed work(s): Source: Leonardo, Vol. 38, No. 2 (2005), pp. 151-154 Published by: The MIT Press Stable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/1577795 . Accessed: 15/03/2012 09:27

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http://www.jstor.org HISTORICAL PERSPECTIVE Mikhail Matyushin's Contribution to Synthetic Art

ABSTRACT

The authorexplores the Bulat pioneeringideas and experi- Galeyev mentsthat the Russian musician andartist Mikhail Matyushin (1861-1934)contributed to thetheory and practice of syntheticart. Special emphasis is placedon light art, light music andMatyushin's reflections on

7 he great Russian poet Alexander Block wrote For Matyushiln, such a variety of analogiesbetween visual an id at the of the 20th "Russiais a coun- sensations, as wee11 as the to- performanceart and on syr ies- beginning century: young joining thesia.The article adduces and its culture is a culture." One of the gether of both raational and tionaland intuitiveintuite try synthetic leading somenew facts, taken mair nly trends of the time in the synthesis of arts involved the union cognition, woulld lead to "organic fromRussian sources not of music and visual images, primarily abstract painting. Most culture," the ch aracteristic feature readilyaccessible to Westelrn often it was combined.with the rejection of material paint in of which is the perceiving of the researchers.Although Matyl ushin favor of The Institute "Prometei" has for world as an ranicwhole." didnot make a significant "incorporeal light." "org contributionto the cause of conducted research into the Russian contribution But did ishin himself relate many years Matyu actuallight-musical synthesi s, to this particular trend in synthetic art. Together with the well- to synthetic art.s (or Gesamtkunst- hedid make interesting fore I. known names of Scriabin, Kandinsky and Tchiurlionis, we werk,to use the accepted German castsin this area, which stil think it also worth the names of such artists as W. term)? (Of cial interest to me havevalue for the modern mentioning spe, reader. Baranoff-Rossine and G. Gidoni. In this paper I discuss the cre- are those that involve music and ative work and ideas of another pioneer of lighting art- light.) Mostlikel ly,he did, including Mikhail Matyushin, whose name has become known in the light-music syntlhesis, having expe- West only in recent decades. rienced the first urge to do so in his Matyushin dedicated his "Memoirs of the Futurist" (known youth. Here is ]Matyushin's own description (written many also under the name "The Career of the Artist") to the "fol- years later) of irnpressions received during the favorite occu- lowing collective of art synthesis explorers" [1]. This intrigu- pation of his stuident days-regular attendance of Conserva- ing fact generates a question: What did he himself do in this tory Orchestra rrehearsals: area, to search for followers? First of it that even from a remember charm of sound and color synthesis, merged in all, appears purely biographical oneo extraordin:thr whole. I did not it of he so to a similar but I felt it ary comprehend completely, point view, was, speak, "synthetic" figure ehow, and enjoyed it, now discerning, nowjoin- to M.-K. Tchiurlionis or A. Schoenberg. A professional musician who studied at the Saint Petersburg Conservatory, he played violin in the Saint Petersburg Court Orchestra for many Fig. 1. K. Malevicbi, cartoon of the scenery for the opera years; at a mature age, after a period of amateur drawing, he A Victoryover the S gun, 1913. studied painting at an art school and in other studios; com- posed music [2]; experimented with quarter-tone soundings; " designed and made a violin; played on a stage; put forward a scientific concept of "organic culture"; studied the fourth di- ii mension of space and its display in art; and investigated problems of harmonization of colors, colors and forms, and colors and sounds [3]. All this has given Matyushin's biographers grounds to com- pare him with the artists of the Renaissance epoch. He did not simply "collect" his versatile talents and interests but always considered them in obligatory correspondence. As he wrote:

Does the painter (sculptor, architect) know how the writer works? L And what does the musician know about the work of the ^ painter ~ or the writer? There is a full or partial dissociation between them, . and full ignorance in another's creative process. I never with- . <* , drew into any special area, I appeared as a musician and as a painter, and alwaysliked and studied architecture ... It goes with- out saying that simultaneous reading of the wide range of sensations during perception expands and enriches any observation . . and a creative image in art [4]. > ~ ~i . 4

Bulat Galeyev (physicist, producer, art theorist), Institute "Prometei," Kazan State' Technical University, Academy of Sciences of Tatarstan, Russia. E-mail: . -

?2005 ISAST LEONARDO, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 151-154, 2005 151 school known as "theater of the painter." Then in 1921-1922, Matyushin and his % and ex- h m-- ;i - Dj L A friends disciples promoted an y. ~ ~ _ ~~~- -%Tt .- perimental staging of plays by Elena Guro and subsequent experiments by .-O , '- < other authors (Guro, former Lj7*1

I i t A -1 - 1 7 7 TI g V7-. V I settled down in the center Jf - I LM.L F i:17 p-.- Spectators of a and the action r - Nfm-&,#-t*,- b-C.-,_ -- _ hall, developed around them. to MyauashMtotototo a According Matyushin, "The movement of forms ... advanced Fig. 2. M. Matyushin, fragment of the score to the opera A Victoryover the Sun, 1913. the purpose of putting an end to the domination of the actor on a stage," ex- panding the limits of the possible in dra- ing endlessly.I sat somewhere,noticed by frequent use ofsynesthetic metaphors matic art. by no one, and looked, listening at the to describe acoustic phenomena (for ex- Matyushin's words are confirmed by same time. I while lis- Especially liked, sounds"); it other in these to look out of the window,or at ample, "glassy, transparent participants spectacles. tening, manifested also in his with From the memoirs of a huge chandelierin the sky-lightopen- experiments O. Matyushina, ing. Extraordinarybeautiful colors-now painting, aimed at indirect, associative as- the second wife of the artist: "No actors orange, blue, now brightlyjolly green, similation of musical thinking, similar to were seen. Only paper models-cubes, in the facetsof the chan- flashing crystal those conducted and other on the stage. with the soundsof Schu- by Kandinsky spheres, pyramids-playing delier-merged series of can- Color and dominated.... I do re- bert's"Unfinished and I felt abstract artists. Matyushin's light Symphony," member reactions. I saw them unsurpassedbliss. And onlythere, where vases of 1918, known as "musical-painting spectators' thisjoyis soundingand shining,the bliss compositions," grew out of these experi- turning still, fascinated with music, with is comingupon us. It wasdifficult for me ments [6]. the game of light and color" [11]. Other when the musiccame to to leaveall that; came closest to the real as- for N. Kostrov, an end and the colorsfaded, contours of Matyushin eyewitnesses, example the windowsand columns assumedor- similation of the expressive potential of recalled the specially designed spatial phanedappearance. The firstexperience dynamic light in his scenic experiments. movement of the sounds: "Real and ab- of light and sound synthesis had been First of all should be mentioned his no- stract, transparent and opaque images- embedded in my mind. Later on I torious futuristic of 1913, A forms and in the of it much and made opera Victory moving revolving thought experi- cred- multi-texture sounds trav- ments. It seems to me that art willbe in- over the Sun, where Matyushin was playing light; was A. over the heads of the evitablysynthetic. Only such art can make ited as composer (the script by eling spectators- people really happy, joyfully taking and Kruchenyh and V. Khlebnikov, the scen- all this created fantastic pictures" [12]. giving in their creative work [emphasis ery by K. Malevich) [7] (Figs 1-3). I Matyushin's disciples and colleagues added] [5]. shall not describe this famous perform- describe in their memoirs his subsequent ance in detail here. There is already work as a lecturer and researcher in the Certainly, the level of hope for the po- much written about it in the West, not Academy of Fine Arts and the State In- tential of synthesis claimed in Matyu- to mention in Russia. Let us note only stitute of Art Culture during the first shin's final phrase is extremely high. Its that very stylized (sometimes mobile) post-revolutionary decade. These mem- realization was obviously expected only scenery and appreciably abstracted cos- oirs were written many years later, at a in the vague future. All the same, Matyu- tumes were used. As for colored lighting, time close to our own. When they assert shin kept searching for ways and meth- it played a minor role. The staging had that Matyushin studied problems of ods to approach this new, still unknown much in common with other scenic proj- "color music" in itself (that is, beyond a Gesamtkunstwerk, based upon the synthe- ects of the early 20th century: "scene theatrical stage), it seems a simple use of sis of music and dynamic light. compositions" by Kandinsky and "ab- modern terminology for description of This search was manifested in a more stract pantomimes" by O. Schlemmer, long-past events [13]. According to more or less traditional form in his language, and in general with a scenographic reliable scientific-analytical sources and

152 Galeyev, Mikhail Matyushin's Contribution to Synthetic Art Matyushin's own documents, it is possi- obtained symmetrical results. High pitch K. Leontiev, starting from Kravkov's ble to ascertain the following facts. shifted subjective evaluation of dark col- work, designed in the late 1950s a device As a theorist Matyushin was interested ors to the "light" end; low pitch shifted for "automatic transformation of audi- in the hierarchy and interrelations be- "light" color to the "dark"end. (Tables tory information into color" [22]. It can tween different sensory modalities. While containing results of these experiments be seen that he tried to revive the mech- admitting the genetic primacy of touch, can be found in a German book about anistic "color music a la Castel" [23], in he considered it necessary to study the Matyushin [18]; see also memoirs by his an updated, physiology-based version.) correlation of this sensation to color, friends and colleagues and recent re- It is not known whether Matyushin in- shape and sound [ 14]. But he most stead- search works [19]). Some of these re- tended to realize music and light (color) fastly analyzed correspondences that searchers emphasize that Matyushin's synthesis beyond the theatrical stage. occur within the same sensory modal- conclusions anticipated later results ob- Many documents have been lost, but ity (sight most of all). In modern psy- tained in the laboratory of Soviet physi- those that remain show him to have been chological terms they are referred to as ologist S.V. Kravkov, who studied the an artist with keen interest in art research "intra-modal" synestheses. He investi- interactions of sense organs and pub- at various levels, including those of phys- gated preferred associations between col- lished his materials in the late 1940s [20]. iology and psychology. Of course, he ors and shapes (similar research was Matyushin's findings are similar to never promoted his conclusions in the carried out by Kandinsky in Moscow in those of investigations carried out in the form of a "model algorithm," binding for the early 1920s). In Matyushin's opinion, Leningrad Institute of the Brain, also in all. His basic research relating color and each color is comparable to a certain the late 1940s [21]. It seems that all this space interactions was carried out on a shape. Experiments brought him to the research was done independently, but more subtle and profound level [24]. conclusion that curved, smooth shapes Matyushin was the first to carry out such This is especially clear from his reflec- are associated with warm colors, and experiments with the psychology of art tions about the nature of synesthesia and pointed, cut shapes with cold ones [15]. in mind. Fortunately, he never tried to its displays in culture (language, art). The archives contain a manuscript by deduce any "formula of art synthesis" on He wrote: "The set expression 'crim- Matyushin under the intriguing title the basis of his results. (Others attempted son chime' [the Russian equivalent of "About a Sound and Color" [16]. He this later. For example, Soviet engineer "mellowchime"]-a subtle, mellow, trans- starts with the general analysis of a problem, then addresses concrete analogies between a sound and a color. Discussing Fig. 3. Scene from A Victoryover the Sun (photo published in the Russian newspaper the phenomenon of color-bearing music Early Morning, 1913). (whose existence was obvious for quite TA a t. ^ ?W j6 g him), he warns against simple analogy ^$(.i,u.^z, B2>..^i.^*33Lui.^-v?va*gu ts|?{ wyy4t 5 between two "vibrations" M: r. Ki.Ja'l,~f'ifi' u Ap, ~ 'Ac t,, ^Ni;b . yaj,I ? !iii ylIF, physical (let --"- '* daVilM (O,xtttE iyi9~rr3T?.fi~?rg:e . u X3J.f-i us keep in mind that this analogy was a .-Fo~~~~~~~~~~nlra? r~jV \t t:- .f - Qip^b?1 g- 9?.# V...WM> starting point both for the mechanists of Castel's time-the 18th century-and theosophers of the turn of the 19th and TEATP'b 4WTTYPHCTOB' 20th centuries). At the same time, Matyushin noticed that associative analogies between color g>.?::.e-' and sound (to be exact, between color and the register of a sound) might be valid. Low tones are comparable to dark, rich, dense colors (for example, red); high tones, to light colors (yellow, sky-blue) [ 17]. Many researchers of synesthesia and "color hearing" expand "light- ness" (i.e. "brightness") from a property of color into one of other sensory modalities, considering it an "intermodal property."Apparently, Matyushin was unaware of these views and ventured to experi- ment on his own. He decided to examine what would happen if two sorts of sensory stimuli were presented simultaneously to the subject: a sound of a certain pitch (high/low) together with a card of a certain color (light/dark). His experimen- tation showed that when low pitch was accompanied by "light"color, it was sub- jectively perceived as higher pitch. On . . .. . the contrary, a dark color shifted subjec- K.'M' ?? u .' T_..T . :.'. .... ?. . tive evaluation of high pitches to the ?~t.q,:'i~r~ -n, ft-r.~:~..,. F +~p,$..rst"1.no~,..Ai ur ~...'.~ri, lower end. Matyushin repeated his ex- ....:lruwu[k9I ?: :rr:a rMowlIPrs pr?u*;Y periment in the opposite direction and

Galeyev,Mikhail Matyushin's Contribution to Synthetic Art 153 parent, shining sound-clearly shows so dangerous, but alwaysfruitful. Were it 12. Kostrov [8] p. 210. that our as hears,and our ear not for the Russian would eye though Revolution, 13. V.E. Delakroa-Nesmelova, "Reminiscences on as thoughsees" [25]. Take notice of the re- the pragmatic West ever have experi- Pedagogic Work of the Professor M.V. Matyushin peated "asthough," which excludes phys- enced the revelations in art presented by (1922-1926)," in Zinoviev [8] pp. 215-223. iological or "physical" explanation of Tatlin, Theremin, Klutzis, Gidoni and 14. Matyushin [1] pp. 104-105. (color Moreover, Let us leave this synesthesia hearing). Matyushin? question 15. Povelikhina [9] p. 62. Matyushin rises to lofty synesthetic com- open. Returning to the basic question an- 16. B.N. "Archivesof M.V. and parisons in the field of art when he, for nounced in the title, we come to Kapelyush, Matyushin finally E.V. Guro," Transactions(Annual) of ManuscriptDe- example, points out the profound anal- the conclusion: Although it is not clear partmentofPushkin House (Leningrad, 1976) pp. 3-23, ogy between music and design. (By the whether considered "color 165-195 (in Russian); part of this material is available Matyushin in German: M. "Uber Ton und Eu- I this music" as a real- Matjusin, Farbe," way, proposed analogy independ- ("light-music") possible ropa-Europa: DasJahrhundertder Avantgarde in Mit- ently and have studied it for 40 years as a ization of his dear "synthetic art,"he was, tel-and Osteuropa,exh. cat., R. Nachigaller, ed., 4 vols. VG Vol. 90. clear example of global synesthetic beyond doubt, one of the pioneers of new (Bonn, Germany: Bild-Kunst, 1994) 3, p. metaphor [26]). In Matyushin's above- art. In the epoch following Scriabin and 17. S.V.Kravkov, TheEye and Its Operation(Leningrad, USSR: AN SSSR 253 mentioned memoirs, written at the end Kandinsky he was seeking ways to un- Publ., 1950) p. (in Russian). of the 1920s and published in 1994, one derstand the nature of synthetic art, to 18. Klotz [6] pp. 199-203. can read the to which new means and methods following passage, develop appli- 19. Povelikhina [9] p. 62; Laskin [8]; E.M. I would readily subscribe: cable to this new art. The lofty pathos and Lushcheko, "The Problem of Color in Theoretical Researches of Laboratories in the 1920s earnestness of his search exemplifies sub- Leningrad Amazing similarityof a curve and 1930s," in V. Shchersnovich, ed., Architecture: winding of artists. with a consonanceof the third suggests sequent generations (Theses) (Leningrad, USSR: LISI Publ., 1973) pp. comparison of visual and auditory im- 121-124 (in Russian). in the ages historicaldevelopment of or- References 20. S.V. "The Interactions between In Kravkov, Organs nament. ornamentsof savagesone can of Senses," (Moscow: AN SSSR Publ., 1948) p. 46 (in 1. M.V. "Memoirs of the Futurist," so clearlyhear a drumand three or four Matyushin, Volga, Russian). Nos. 9-10 72-123 (in consistentlyrepeating sounds. I think, (1994) pp. Russian). 21. S.E. "The Influence of Colored taken in music 2. M.V. "Old and New Iskusstvoz- Drapkina, Light- having simple examples Matyushin, Music," on the of Sound and in No. 1 501-507 ing Perceiving Duration," pp. illustratingthem consecutiveor- nanie, (2003) pp. (in Russian). and V.I. der wouldbe 144-145, Kaufman, "The Discerning of byornaments, it possibleto Sound Pitches under Colored Conditions," show an connection of 3. M.V.Matyushin, "RussianCube-Futurism," in Rus- Lighting quite interesting sian Futurism: Theory.Practice. Criticism.Recollections pp. 174-175, both in Transactionsof the BekhterevIn- what has been until now. To stitute the Brain USSR: Bekhterev In- separated (Moscow: IMLI, Nasledie, 2000) pp. 312-328 (in of (Leningrad, apply this method to modern music Russian). stitute, 1949) (in Russian). -what a revelation it would us give 22. K. Leontiev, Colorand Music Znanie, regarding our estimation and under- 4. Matyushin [1] pp. 115-116. (Moscow: of the creative in the 1961) (in Russian). standing process 5. Matyushin [1] p. 82. historicaldevelopment of art [27]. 23. About Castel's ideas, see B. Galeyev, "At the 6. H. Klotz, ed., Matjuschinund dieLeningraderAvant- Sources of the Idea of 'Seeing Music' in Russia, "Ap- There are many such interesting lines garde, (Stuttgart-Munich, Germany: Zentrum fir pendix to B. Galeyev, "The Fire of Prometheus:Music- Kunst und Karlruhe and Okto- Art in the Leonardo No. in Matyushin's literary heritage. But be- Medientechnologie Experiments USSR," 21, 4, gon Verlag, 1991) pp. 142-143; Karin v. Maur, The 383-396 (1988). yond particular theoretical concerns, it Sound of Painting: Music in ModernArt (Prestel Ver- is sometimes difficult to concretize what lag, Munich; London; New York, 1999) p. 80. 24. L. Zhadova, "I1Sistema Cromatico di Matyusin," sovietica,No. 1 121-130 (in Ital- form of art he asserted. It seems Rassegna (1975) pp. synthesis 7. For a description of the script, see G.I. Gubanova, ian); N. Kozyreva, "'Movement Is Life': Matyushin also that as in the case of another "Group Portrait against the Apocalypse Background: and His Theory of Space and Color," Tvorchestvo, To the of 'A over the Sun,"' No. 6 13-17 (in A. Leningrad artist of the same Interpretation Victory (1989) pp. Russian); Povelikhina, light period, Literaturnoeobozrenie, No. 4 (1998) pp. 69-77; for the "Matyushin's Spatial System," The Structurist, No. G.I. Gidoni, this uncertainty was not in- spectacle itself see I. Nestiev, "An Extract from the 15/16 (1975-1976) pp. 64-71 (in English); A. Pove- cidental, but motivated by the social sit- History of Russian Musical Vanguard. Issue 2. likhina, "Uber die Musik im Schaffen des Malers Michael Matyushin, 'A over the Sun,'" Sovet- Michael in Akademie der uation of that time [28]. Soviet Russia Victory Matjuchin," Kunste, Sieg skayamuzyka, No. 3 (1991) pp. 66-73; V.I. Beriozkin, uber die Sonne: Aspekte russischer Kunst zu Beginn was rushing into futurity, its aims having Stage Art in the WorldTheatre. From the Origins to the des 20 Jahhurndert (Berlin: Berliner Festwochen, Middle20th Editorial been determined in the general, Century(Moscow: URCC, 1997) 1983). only pp. 210-213; G.I. Gubanova, "The Theatre of Rus- conceptual form, with little relation to re- sian Futurists: A Victory over the Sun," Ph.D. thesis, 25. Povelikhina [9] p. 62. and sometimes its demands. (Moscow 2000); G.I. Gubanova, "The Motifs of Farce ality against 26. B. "An between Music and Or- in 'A Victory over the Sun,"' in Yu. Kovalenko, ed., Galeyev, Analogy Artists felt like of the new nament," Vestnik Universiteta pathbreakers RussianAvant-Garde in 1910-20s and the Theatre(Saint Samarskogo (Samara Bulletin), Humanitarian Issue, No. 3 world and did not about the Petersburg, Russia: Dmitrij Bulavin Publ., 2000) University worry vague- pp. 30-32 (in ness of the future. It was easier for artists 156-165 (all in Russian). (1999) pp. Russian). 27. [1] 116. than for the rest to fall into a euphoria of 8. 0. Matyushina, "The Vocation," Zvezda, No. 3 Matyushin p. (1993) 137-153, and No. 4 (1993) 164-179; selfless revolutionary devotion. Matyu- pp. pp. 28. B.M. Galeyev, "Grigory Gidoni: Another Re- N.I. Kostrov, and His in M. Zi- shin could not avoid the of such "Matyushin Disciples," nascent Name," Leonardo33, No. 3, 207-213 (2000). pathos noviev, ed., Panorama-13 (Moscow: Sovetskij. khu- a declaration as: "We are already on a dozhnik, 1990) pp. 190-214; S. Laskin, "The 29. L.A. Zhadova, "Matyushin's Color System," into the brink of a mighty community uniting all Cannon-Ball, Going Target (Michael Iskusstvo,No. 9 (1974) p. 41 (in Russian). Matyushin and His School)," Neva, No. 9 (1997) pp. our abilities. Architect, musician, writer, 161-176, 238-240; A. Povelikhina, "'Total Theatre' engineer, organized by the new social en- of Matyushin," in The Organic.Subjectless World of the Manuscript received 4 March 2003. Nature in Russian Avant-Garde the 20th vironment, will make common cause cre- of Century (Moscow: Nauka Publ., 2000) pp. 136-151 (all in Bulat M. an internationalco-editor ating works of art completely unknown Russian). Galeyev, Leonardo, has to a bourgeois society" [29]. of writtenforthisjournalfor 9. A. Povelikhina, "The World as an Organic Whole," morethan 30 years.He is the head of the In- Humankind has not yet determined to in A. Sarabjyanov,ed., GreatUtopia: Russian and So- stituteforExperimentalAesthetics "Prometei " what extent the social revolutions, with vietAvant-Garde (1915-1932) (Moscow: Gallart Publ., 1993) 55-63 (in Russian). (Kazan, Russia). His mainfield of interestis all their can be It is es- pp. victims, justified. the theoryand practiceof modernart. He is difficult 10. Matyushin [1] p. 105. pecially to reproach artists for theauthor of 15 booksand hundredsofpapers, hurrying their time. Their pathos was not 11. Matyushina [8] p. 168. published in Russian and foreign editions.

154 Galeyev,Mikhail Matyushin's Contribution to Synthetic Art