Kandinsky: Complete Writings On Art [Paperback]

Kenneth C. Lindsay (Author), Peter Vergo (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: March 22, 1994

Of all the giants of twentieth-century art, Wassily Kandinsky (1866–1944) was the most prolific writer. Here, available for the first time in paperback, are all of Kandinsky's writings on art, newly translated into English. Editors Kenneth C. Lindsay and Peter Vergo have taken their translations directly from Kandinsky's original texts, and have included select interviews, lecture notes, and newly discovered items along with his more formal writings. The pieces range from one-page essays to the book-length treatises On the Spiritual in Art (1911) and Point and Line to Plane (1926), and are arranged in chronological order from 1901 to 1943. The poetry, good enough to stand on its literary merits, is presented with all the original accompanying illustrations. And the book's design follows Kandinsky's intentions, preserving the spirit of the original typography and layout.Kandinsky was nearly thirty before he bravely gave up an academic career in law for his true passion, painting. Though his art was marked by extraordinarily varied styles, Kandinsky sought a pure art throughout, one which would express the soul, or "inner necessity," of the artist. His uncompromising search for an art which would elicit a response to itself rather than to the object depicted resulted in the birth of nonobjective art—and in these writings, Kandinsky offered the first cogent explanation of his aims. His language was characterized by its desire for vivification, of the infusion of life into mundane things.Considered as a whole, Kandinsky’s writings exceed all expectations of what an artist should accomplish with words. Not only do his ideas and observations make us rethink the nature of art and the way it reflects the aspirations of his era, but they touch on matters vital to the situation of the human soul.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Kenneth C. Lindsay is Professor Emeritus of the State University of New York in Binghamton. He has published widely on Kandinsky. Peter Vergo is professor of art history and theory at Essex University in England, and has published extensively on twentieth-century German and Austrian art.

Product Details

• Paperback: 972 pages
• Publisher: Da Capo Press (March 22, 1994)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0306805707
• ISBN-13: 978-0306805707
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 2.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #717,263 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Modern Art: A Wealth of Primary Sources, January 10, 2004

By 

danny carter - See all my reviews

This review is from: Kandinsky: Complete Writings On Art (Paperback)

This book is as thorough of a collection of writings by an individual as you will ever find. Including every major treatise, essay, and book by Kandisky, it goes a few steps further with every Kandisky poem (English and German translations) and play. Moreover, the book includes innumerable pamphlets and the like from the earlier late-Expressionist exhibits; also incorporated are several corrspondances between Kandinsky and contemporaries, particularly atonal composer Arnold Schoenburg--illuminating how each other's theories were mutually related and held a reciprocal influence. A little known fact, Schoenburg himself was a non-objective painter--photos of his works are among these pages, as well! Before each section is a contextual introduction to that particular writing. And much much more.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars excellent for the price, January 2, 2009

By 

M. Rickey (Washington) - See all my reviews
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Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: Kandinsky: Complete Writings On Art (Paperback)

I'm learning a lot from reading Kandinsky and it is wonderful to have his writings all in one place. This version has publishing hiccups (some page repeats, distracting word spacing, occasionally blurry printing) but no deal breakers and for the price I paid (used) it's a good deal. Five stars for content, one or two stars for presentation. If you're fussy keep looking but do not overlook Kandinsky.

5.0 out of 5 stars A Must Read, February 15, 2010

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Thomas D. Jenkins "tommy J" (Gainesboro, TN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Kandinsky: Complete Writings On Art (Paperback)

I left the recent exhibit at the Guggenheim pretty well confused as to how Kandinsky made his pictures work - especially the drawings & watercolors. They had a copy of this book in their reading room. When I got back home I found it on Amazon. I've been reading through this for about a month now. It's slow reading, but it may unlock the secrets of his complex compositions for me. His examples will provide the support for my studies for a long, long time.

Just remember that much of it is purely Kandinsky's opinions based on his Russian Orthodox religion. You will have to examine the passages on spirituality in terms of your own experience and decide for yourself how to project his pedagogue into your own work.

If you do non-representational art or are even at all interested in abstract art, you must read this book.