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The Conception of Synaesthesia in the Works of Wassily Kandinsky

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The Conception of Synaesthesia in the Works of Wassily Kandinsky ESTETIKA IR MENO ISTORIJA The Conception of Synaesthesia in the Works of Wassily Kandinsky SALOMĖJA JASTRUMSKYTĖ Lithuanian Culture Research Institute [email protected] There are relatively few scientific studies of different levels on the synaesthetic links of music and painting in Wassily Kandinsky’s creation. The reflective regress of aesthetics and art theory to the abstract painting, reconsideration of its significance in a certain way convey the intellectual load of Kandinsky’s efforts to discover the synaesthetic principle of rendering the most sensitive shifts of the artist’s conscious and subconscious and extremely subjective senses. Intellectually capacious idea of abstract painting became an ideal existence of synaesthetic aesthetics. In case of Kandinsky’s creation, we can definitely speak of the purity of the relation between music and painting, not necessarily as a dialogue of hegemonic senses, but as a certain puritanical formula of art, which may become the starting point for the rise of new art paradigms. Kandinsky has given many synaesthetic aspects to his theory of colours, which are not usually accentuated associating his painting only with music. For Kandinsky colours were exceptional synaesthetic manifestations able to concentrate and convey the combinations, connections, entireties of various senses. Keywords: Kandinsky, Synaesthesia, interaction of the arts, music, painting, Symbolism, Abstractionism. Wassily Kandinsky, the artist of extraordi- stages of his creative evolution, Kandinsky nary talent, is an exclusive figure not only in followed the paths delineated by Mikalojus the evolution of several important trends of Konstantinas Čiurlionis and also tackled art, first of all Symbolism, Fauvism, Expres- similar problems of ‘musical painting’. sionism and Abstractionism, but also in the Different from other problems of his history of cognition of the phenomenon of creation, there are relatively few scientific synaesthesia. On the other hand, he was a studies of different levels on the synaesthet- high-level conceptual theorist of modern- ic links of music and painting in Wassily ist art, who wrote programme theoretical Kandinsky’s creation. It is natural, because texts analysing the issues of interaction of the researchers were more interested in painting and music especially relevant to the rise of Abstractionism related to Kan- us. The synaesthetic aspects of the works of dinsky (as well as to the plastic searches Kandinsky as an artist and theorist are very of Čiurlionis, which are less well-known interesting to us, because in the important in the world), which actually marked an The Conception of Synaesthesia in the Works of Wassily Kandinsky 109 essential turning-point in the evolution of limits of conceptuality: for Kandinsky and the Western artistic consciousness and still other artists who were developing the idea is an inexhaustible aspect of perception and of abstract painting it was not just another self-concept of modern culture; therefore, it trend of art tackling the formal problems is not by chance that this field of problems of musical architectonics in painting. Intel- of Kandinsky’s avant-garde creation is dis- lectually capacious idea of abstract painting cussed in academic literature of art studies became an ideal existence of synaesthetic especially widely and comprehensively. aesthetics. In case of Kandinsky’s creation, In fact, the reflective regress of aesthet- we can definitely speak of the purity of the ics and art theory to the abstract painting, relation between music and painting, not reconsideration of its significance in a necessarily as a dialogue of hegemonic certain way convey the intellectual load senses, but as a certain puritanical formula of Kandinsky’s efforts to discover the sy- of art, which may become the starting point naesthetic principle of rendering the most for the rise of new art paradigms due to its sensitive shifts of the artist’s conscious and alchemic transparency1. subconscious and extremely subjective 1 Kandinsky is generally considered to be the first senses. Although abstract painting is cur- creator of expressive abstraction with the lineage rently a widespread principle of visual arts, from Gauguin and the symbolists through abstract which has incidentally survived more than expressionism and essentially seeking to penetrate one period of exhaustion and extinction, and reveal the metaphysical realities beyond the visual appearance. Kandinsky’s links with fin-de-siècle the moment of its origin is surrounded by Symbolism provided a solid context for developing extraordinary efforts of thinking and the the idea of spirituality in art. When he arrived from creation of a universal and refined theory Russia to Munich, Kandinsky started studying fine fostering an exclusive humanistic project. arts under Franz von Stuck, the representative of secession and Symbolism. Peculiar artistic climate in The active search in the fields of theory Munich and the prevalence of Jugendstil aesthetics al- and practice of synaesthesia have acquired lowed Kandinsky to envisage the value of abstraction a scale of a solid creative modernist art and the possibility to erase the lines between different project in the ambitions of Kandinsky; arts. The vision of Abstractionism is essential for the however, due to its elitist esotericism and development of Modernism and is closely related with the philosophical tradition of Plato, Hegel, and complexity it has received less attention Schopenhauer. The model of synaesthesia formed and from the researchers. It is understandable, established in abstract painting is the most universal, because according to the author of the revealing the formalist tendencies of Western synaes- project, it must carry a message not only thesia, summarizing the modernist aspirations of the aesthetic stage of synaesthesia, and the starting point of art, but also of the transformation of for many works of postmodern art seeking the unity human spirituality. Therefore, although the of the senses. Just like Gesamtkunstwerk has become abstract painting established the principles a nearly timeless model of synaesthetic structure from of formalist aesthetics and also unfolded the Wagner to virtual media, the synaesthetic principles of Abstractionism are the foundation for the aspects formalist germs of synaesthesia, which had of synthesis of visual and auditory senses. The appear- been formed in the Symbolist era, this trend ance of abstract painting is indisputably related with of modern art goes far beyond the narrow the triumph of modern art. 2351-4728 ISSN 110 TARPDALYKINIAI KULTŪROS TYRIMAI 2017 · T. 5 · Nr. 1 ESTETIKA IR MENO ISTORIJA Kandinsky’s affinity with the think- nence, the position of spiritual being as an ing of Schopenhauer permeated by the opposition to the material one, and not the spirit of panmusicality, which is especially constancy of transient appearance. Kand- important from the point of view of the insky states that there is an unchangeable, genesis of the concept of synaesthesia, is infallible principle of inner necessity, which revealed by the identical terminology used gives the art the state of purity. Kandinsky to consider the materialization of their believed that the essential thing, from spirit or idea, the exclusive importance of which a work of painting must appear, is spontaneity and the category ‘musicality’ the inner necessity, innere Notwendigkeit. in different types of art. For example, when It is the essential conception of the whole explaining the objectiveness of will in the aesthetic theory of Kandinsky, which sub- work The World as Will and Representa- stantiated the principal turning-point of tion Schopenhauer used the conception visual art, the shift from the representation of inner necessity. Kandinsky also used of visual world to the rendering of inner, the early investigations of colour theory invisible experience. Therefore, according to of Schopenhauer in the work Farbenlehre. Kandinsky, a work of art should not depend Moreover, this philosopher was quoted by on such external models as nature. Instead the co-authors of his almanac Franz Marc the determinant for a painting to appear and Arnold Schonberg. Schopenhauer’s must be the inner voice of the artist, the exceptional appreciation of music has also inner clang [musical in its deepest nature], greatly affected Kandinsky’s ideas. For innere Klang. According to Kandinsky, lit- both Kandinsky and Schopenhauer art is erature, music and art are the first and most the only possible escape from the negative sensitive areas, where the spiritual changes aspects of will. Moreover, Kandinsky, refer- become tangibly perceptible. Regardless of ring to Woringer and Schopenhauer, used whether the form is abstract or representa- the metaphor of crystallization to express tive or an intermediate version of both, it the state of ontological purity, which he must be created according to the principle proclaimed in abstract art. This metaphor of inner necessity. is also characteristic for Klee: he pictures Although Kandinsky could have been a crystal as metaphysically pure. Purity well familiar with the German idealistic was the essential conception of Abstrac- philosophy because of the interests of the tionism, based on the Platonic vision of adherents of Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue perfect, non-mimetic forms of art, which Rider) group or with the Hegel’s philoso- is extremely important for the practice of phy through his nephew, a famous French abstractionism.
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