Malevich Haters

During our visit at the Pompidou, I spent a majority of my time in the Suprematist gallery and meandering from room to room.  I looked at a painting by Malevich and eventually, a promotional invite by Calder.  I wanted to spend some time with Malevich because many of my peers don’t appreciate him visually or conceptually.  This was the first opportunity I had to see a painting of his in person.  I've never had any particular feelings on him, so I was hoping the experience would inspire something for me to bring back to all of the Malevich haters.

Seeing it in person was vastly different than seeing it on a projection.  You get a sense for the flatness, contrast, and less-than-perfect but not overly obvious craft.  The brush strokes are visible, but small and horizontal, cross is crooked, and the white and black shapes are smudged.  After reading some of the Suprematist manifesto, I learned that the white in the paintings represent infinity and simple geometry is a way of painting spirituality and to transcend the natural world.  Malevich believed that objects cluttered art and made expression more difficult.  His paintings were not empty, but “filled with the spirit of non-objective sensation.”  Without these objects and figures, his art loses political and religious ties that art so frequently holds, more so in his square painting, two above.

detail of lower left cross

In our discussion, we talked about the shape of the cross, it’s imperfections, the stark contrast of the black on white background, and the mysterious readings the shape gives off.  Because Malevich wanted to move away from political and religious associations, I feel as though his simple squares were more successful because the cross shape carries a lot of connotations.  This is likely why he moved towards the square, and it is what most people recognize him for.  

Now that I have spent a good chunk of time looking at actual Malevich work, reading his Manifesto, and discussing it, it’s craft, and it’s meaning, I certainly have a new respect for him, although he still may not be my favorite artist, perhaps I can convince the Suprematist haters to ease up on him.