Abstract Expressionism: Analysis of Wassily Kandinsky and Arnold Schoenberg

Introduction to Abstract Expressionism

'Abstract Expressionism' is a term that describes a general movement of largely non-representative painting. Initially, it started in the United States during the 1940s and 1950s. It was led by a generation of American artists who were strongly influenced by European settlers. These artists had grown up during the Depression and were influenced both by World War II and its Cold War aftermath. Abstract Expressionism encompassed several quite different styles. These paintings share certain characteristics, including the all-over use of the canvas, in which the whole canvas is treated with equal importance. Abstract art expressed ideas that concern the spiritual, the unconscious, and the mind.

Abstract Expressionism: Analysis of Wassily Kandinsky and Arnold Schoenberg

The painter Wassily Kandinsky was in Munich in January 1911. While there, he attended a music concert by Arnold Schoenberg, which prompted him to start writing to Schoenberg. He wrote, 'In your work, you have realized what I, albeit in uncertain form, have so greatly longed for in music' (Kandinsky, 1911). Kandinsky was impressed with a new atonal compositional method that Schoenberg used, which did not adhere to the existing rules of harmony. Inspired by this, Kandinsky attempted to break from traditional figurative modes of painting. When referring to the emotional quality of color, Kandinsky often used music terminology.

The friendship between Kandinsky and Schoenberg was crucial for the development of both artists. They shared similar views about the nature and purpose of art. Their collaboration helped them both reach their full potential as they inspired each other. One of Kandinsky's famous quotes is, “Lend your ears to music, open your eyes to painting, and... stop thinking! Just ask yourself whether the work has enabled you to 'walk about' into a hitherto unknown world. If the answer is yes, what more do you want?” (Kandinsky, n.d.).

I intend to answer these questions by comparing Kandinsky's art with Schoenberg's music and by analyzing Kandinsky's artworks and the effect Schoenberg had on them.

Analysis of Kandinsky's "Circles in a Circle"

“Circles in a Circle” is a compact and closed composition. Kandinsky began a thoughtful study of the circle as an artistic unit starting from this painting. In his letter to Galka Scheyer, he wrote, “it is the first picture of mine to bring the theme of circles to the foreground” (Kandinsky, 1923). The outer black circle, as if a second frame for a picture, encourages us to focus on the interaction between the inside circles, and two intersecting diagonal stripes enhance the effect, adding perspective to the composition.

The deeper the blue becomes, the more strongly it calls man towards the infinite, awakening in him a desire for the pure and, finally, for the supernatural... The brighter it becomes, the more it loses its sound, until it turns into silent stillness and becomes white (Kandinsky, 1910). Kandinsky’s paintings would gradually become more abstract, and with "Murnau, Train and Castle," you can see a stop along the way. Kandinsky painted it in 1909 after he had traveled through much of Europe and then decided to settle in Murnau – a small town in Bavaria. In this painting, you can see how the color plays almost as big of a role as the forms it shapes, although the forms here are still themselves clear; the train and the castle are both evident, as are various elements of the background.

Kandinsky’s artwork and Schoenberg’s music share a similar idea. They both leave the existing rules of music and painting and take on a new way of expressing themselves. Music becomes so touchable to Kandinsky that he can paint it. The painting and the music both arose from the inner need for expression.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Kandinsky and Schoenberg, though artists of different kinds, were very similar. They both had a need to express their inner selves and wanted to do it in a new way that was different from the traditional way of expression. Their passion for expression was heard and seen, and even though not everyone liked it, it made them famous world artists.

References

• Kandinsky, W. (1911). Letter to Arnold Schoenberg.
• Kandinsky, W. (n.d.). Quoted in Lindsay, K., & Vergo, P. (1994). Kandinsky: Complete Writings on Art.
• Kandinsky, W. (1923). Letter to Galka Scheyer.
• Kandinsky, W. (1910). Concerning the Spiritual in Art.