Kazimir Malevich: The Journey to the Absolute

Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935), born in Kyiv, Ukraine, grew up in an era when the art world was undergoing radical changes and experiencing revolutionary ideas. From humble beginnings as the son of a peasant, Malevich rose to become the founder of Suprematism, an artistic movement that rejected all conventional forms and colours in art. His work symbolises a quest for the “absolute” in painting, a relentless drive to liberate art from the constraints of objects and the material world. Malevich was both a visionary and a mystic, an artist who pushed the boundaries of the visual and the spiritual.

Self portrait Kazimir Malevich by Kazimir Malevich

Early Years: A Search for Identity

Malevich was born into a large peasant family in a small Ukrainian community. His childhood was filled with the daily tasks of rural life, which instilled in him a deep respect for simplicity - a theme that subtly reappeared in his early work. When Malevich eventually applied to an art academy, it was by no means a conventional choice; he was self-taught and had to combine his art with other work to make ends meet.

One poignant story from his youth describes how he would secretly buy pigments and canvases to create his first paintings, against his father’s wishes. He used old handkerchiefs and scraps of wood as makeshift canvases, often working late into the night by candlelight, driven by an inner fire to express himself. His mother secretly supported him, slipping him money to buy painting supplies - an act he would later recall with great fondness.

His early works are heavily influenced by traditional Russian art and iconography. In many of his paintings from that time, he used bright colours and simple compositions characteristic of folk art. Malevich initially viewed art as a means of capturing and eternalizing the world around him. His early paintings depict workers, peasants, and everyday scenes, often with warm colours and straightforward shapes. His love for the vernacular style remained evident throughout his career, even as he later embraced abstraction and objectlessness.

Influences and Experiments: The Path to Abstraction

At the turn of the twentieth century, Malevich became acquainted with the works of French Impressionists, as well as Van Gogh and Cézanne. His style began to shift as he grew increasingly inspired by the European avant-garde. These new influences opened the door to abstraction and experimental forms, and Malevich began to move away from his earlier figurative approach.

There is a remarkable story about Malevich’s admiration for Cézanne. During a visit to an exhibition in Moscow, where he encountered Cézanne’s work, he stood transfixed in front of a painting for hours. He was so deeply moved that, for the rest of the week, he feverishly sketched everyday objects, like apples and bowls, trying to capture the geometric shapes that Cézanne saw within them. It was a breakthrough moment for Malevich, one in which he realised that reality could be distilled into simple forms - a realisation that would later lead him to his own abstract style.

During this period, he also developed an interest in Cubism and Futurism, two movements that emphasised movement and the fragmentation of forms. Malevich began experimenting with combining geometric shapes and bright colours, which would eventually become the foundation of his later work. In paintings such as The Woodcutter and The Harvesters, the influence of Cubism is evident: Malevich broke down figures into geometric shapes, enhancing the movement and energy of the compositions.

Black Square (1915) by Kazimir Malevich

Suprematism: The Breakthrough to the Absolute

The years 1913 to 1915 marked a turning point in Malevich’s career. During this period, he created his most famous work: Black Square. This painting was more than a simple composition; it was a manifesto. The work consisted of a black square on a white background, with no representation or reference to reality. For Malevich, this square represented the “zero degree” of painting—the point at which all representation ceases and art completely detaches itself from the world around it.

According to accounts, the creation of Black Square was almost a religious experience for Malevich. He locked himself in his studio for days, draped the windows with cloth, and worked until he was utterly exhausted. When he finally completed the work, he called it “my own icon.” He treated the black square as a spiritual object, a symbolic gateway to another reality. This intense dedication and near-sacred reverence for the painting reveal his profound beliefs about art.

In his manifesto "The World as Objectlessness," Malevich argued that the purpose of art was not to mirror the visible world but to create a new reality. He saw Suprematism as a pathway to higher spiritual consciousness. This idea was revolutionary for his time and made Malevich one of the most forward-thinking artists of modern art. Suprematism offered him the opportunity to detach from the visible world and focus on the invisible, spiritual realm.

Technique and Working Methods: Slow Drying and Geometric Precision

Malevich was an artist who took his time to build and refine his works carefully. He often used oil paint, a medium that allowed him to gradually layer his paintings and make meticulous adjustments over time. The slow drying time of oil paint suited his detailed approach, where he added and modified layers until he achieved the desired result.

A fellow artist recalled how Malevich would spend hours simply staring at his work, as if in meditation. He would view his compositions from various angles, step back, and study them again, like a monk in contemplation. This method made his works radiate a sense of precision and harmony, as if each element fell perfectly into place in a universal symphony of forms and colours.

Philosophy and Art: The Path to Inner Freedom

The essence of Malevich’s philosophy was that art could be a path to inner freedom and enlightenment. He believed that art must have a spiritual dimension and that the artist could free the viewer from the confines of everyday existence. His idea of “objectlessness” was about letting go of forms and objects to reach a higher state of consciousness.

Another striking moment from his life took place during a lecture, where he drew a black square on the board and then invited the audience to lose themselves within it. Malevich saw it as his duty to lead the viewer into another dimension, away from the material world, towards a pure, emotional experience. This intense engagement with his audience reveals how Malevich saw himself as a kind of guide in the quest for higher awareness.

The Years of Figuration: A Return to Earth

By the late 1920s, as political pressure in the Soviet Union increased, Malevich was compelled to return to a more figurative style. It was a difficult period for him, as the authorities expected artists to contribute to Socialist Realism. Malevich began painting peasants and workers—subjects that the government approved of. Yet his style remained unique and unmistakably his own. His figurative paintings carry an eerie sense of alienation and emptiness, as if the figures do not fully belong to the world they depict.

Malevich the Man: A Life of Struggle and Passion

Malevich was a complex personality—passionate and persistent. His devotion to his art and his philosophy often made him a solitary and isolated figure. He was a loving father and husband, yet his artistic ambitions were always at the forefront. His daughter later remembered that she sometimes wouldn’t see him for days, as he became completely absorbed in his work. Nevertheless, he remained a loving father, taking her to museums and talking to her about the “world behind the shapes” that he sought to capture.

Legacy: The Immortal Pioneer of Objectlessness

Though Kazimir Malevich passed away in 1935, his legacy endures as a source of inspiration for artists and thinkers worldwide. His work has indelibly changed the landscape of modern art and continues to encourage artists to push boundaries and break free from conventions. His revolutionary vision of abstraction and objectlessness remains a monument to the freedom of the mind and the power of art to lead us into new dimensions.

Kazimir Malevich’s life’s work shows us that art can be more than a reflection of reality; it can open a door to a world of pure ideas, feelings, and spiritual freedom. His vision remains a testament to the power of art to enrich and transform the human experience.

Sources:

·      "Malevich: Journey to Infinity" door Gerry Souter

·      "Kazimir Malevich: The World as Objectlessness" door Simon Baier

·      "Malevich: Painting the Absolute" door Andréi Nakov

·      "Kazimir Malevich: The Years of Figuration"

·      "Kazimir Malevich: President of Space"

·      "Kazimir Malevich: 1878-1935 and Suprematism"