Wassily Kandinsky (1866-1944)

Ordered and precise, with sharp, distinct shapes, Dunkle Seiten embodies the geometrical form of abstraction that Kandinsky practiced throughout his professorship at the Bauhaus, where his approach to art became increasingly more technical and scientific. Watercolours assumed an important and independent role in his work during the Bauhaus period and Dunkle Seiten represents the detailed system of symbolization Kandinsky formulated to stimulate emotional reactions and externally express inner feelings. The work explores the dynamics of vertical form, holding Kandinsky's geometric hieroglyphs into a steady balance of rectangular bands, like a form of musical notation. Dominated by the dark pigments the artist associated with obscurity and death, Dunkle Seiten deliberately evokes a deep sense of mystery, illustrating Kandinsky's enigmatic personal and spiritual interpretation of abstract art.

(fig. 1) Hugo Erfurt. Portrait of Kandinsky, Dresden, 1933, Musée national d'art moderne, Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.