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Parker Matel
This comparative study will focus on analyzing four separate artworks: Composition VII,
Yellow-Red-Blue, Time, and Longing by Wassily Kandinsky and local artist Rosie Hartmann.
They share many characteristics such as their use of color to convey mood and feelings in
their works and their abstract painting style to evoke feelings, thoughts, and emotions while
observing their work. Though their styles are somewhat similar, their themes are very
different. Kandinsky's works were produced in the early twentieth century until his death in
1944. The focus of his theme was to visually express music through abstract painting.
Hartmann is a modern artist with a focus on using her abstract paintings to compliment her
photography.
Wassily Kandinsky
Wassily Kandinsky is a Russian abstract expressionist painter who worked in the
early to mid twentieth century. He has been considered the pioneer of modern
abstract art. As a child he had a strong connection to sound and color which
influenced his art even throughout his professional art career. Many of his works
reflect his experimentation with the relationship between color and form to convey
feelings that are universal to all members of the audience. He chose to use an
abstract style of painting in order to avoid using symbols or subject matters that
some observers might not understand. Through abstraction he was able to paint
without any physical or cultural confinements to connect to all people.
The theme of many of his works focus on the connection between sound and
visual art. He believed that he could paint a picture of music through the use of
color, form, and space. He painted with the goal of having the viewer experience
the music in mind. He wanted everyone to experience the same emotions and
feelings when they look at his work similar to how music can create a universal
feeling amongst the listeners. With this in mind, the success of his work heavily
relied on the responses of the public to the art.
Formal qualities of Composition VII
Color
Kandinsky uses many contrasting Pattern/Repetition
warm and cool colors scattered There is a repetition and pattern of
throughout the piece. These color throughout the piece between
contrasts bring the focus to certain the three primary colors. This
forms in this work such as the repetition causes a chaotic
organic dark blue form just off movement throughout the piece
center while the pattern resembles the
Form structure of music.
Organic forms are used within the
work in order to keep the emotions Composition
universally relatable. Although they The majority of the composition is
are all organic and have no focused in the center of the piece.
detailed symbols, there are some Everything merges in the center
shapes that resemble known creating a conflict between the
objects such as the lines that colors and forms within.
resemble a string instrument and
the symbol similar to the “flat” Composition VII by Wassily Kandinsky
symbol in music. (♭)
Interpretive Analysis of Composition VII
This piece has two major focal points, the dark cluster of
shapes and the bright rectangular doorway. Kandinsky
produced this piece in 1925 while in Germany. Post World
War I, the German people were struggling due to the
sanctions placed upon them. The dark cluster of shapes and
the bright yellow doorway could be a representation of the
mood of Germany at the time and seeing a glimmer of hope
in the darkness. The piece’s right side is colliding which
could represent disaster or conflict while the yellow rectangle
with open space represents the solution to the disaster. The
whole piece produces the feeling of hope when even though
Yellow- Red- Blue by Wassily Kandinski there is some sort of conflict occurring.
Rosie Hartmann
Introduction Qualities
I created this work called Family Color/Contrast- the colors that
Zodiac as a representation of fill the outline of each creature
my family. It symbolizes the create a personality while the
members of my family without contrast shows that each is
words but rather with Chinese different and none are an exact
Zodiac specific symbols. My copy
parents were born the year of
the rat, my brother the year of Shape- The entire work is 5
the monkey, my sister the tiger, shapes representing different
and I the dragon. people
Through focusing on both direct inspiration and indirect influences of these works on
my art, I have learnt to appreciate more than just the aesthetic value of works. Works
such as Kandinsky’s that may look complicated almost like trying to understand
gibberish are actually a complex level of symbolism. I can use this in the future to
incorporate subliminal messages within even realistic works. They both force the
observer to take more time to understand the work but also push the observers
towards one united understanding.