Constructing the Supreme Language of Art
How abstract geometric forms came to represent profound emotions and concepts we deal with every day.
Kazimir Malevich is one of the most important painters in progressing Modern visual arts. He was the founder of Suprematism and the instigator of a new language of form that emphasised emotions and big human concepts, rather than merely attempting to represent the ‘real’ world by employing illusions of perspective, figurative symbolism and trompe l’oeil. Along with Constructivist artists, such as El Lissitzky, Malevich innovated the use of simple geometric forms to create a new visual language for feelings and concepts.
The next time you use your MP3 player, or online streaming, you will find Malevich’s legacy: Why do you think the triangle means ‘play’, the square means ‘stop’, and a red circle represents ‘record’? Then go and take another look at the Suprematists and Constructivists…
In one of his pieces, Black Rectangle, Blue Triangle (circa 1915, above) the introduction of the dynamic triangle changes the solid and ‘static’ rectangle into a new seven-sided form. The triangle represents a smaller, though more dynamic force that appears to have moved into the composition, its presence changing the status quo that had existed prior to its intervention.
