Vasily Kandinsky

I was lucky enough to visit the Art Gallery of New South Wales today, to see the exhibition of works by twentieth-century, European modernist, Vasily Kandinsky. His paintings employing pure abstraction, and the use of colour and shape without any realistic reference, are designed to move the viewer in their own right, not because they depict something particular.

I love seeing the work of great painters across their lifetimes—the progression of style, the refinement of ideas, is always interesting. So often, these ground-breaking artists start out in a naturalistic mode which develops into the type of work we are familiar with—their legacy, if you like.

Kandinsky’s paintings inspire me to be less fearful. As artists, realistic or abstract or somewhere in between, there is always a fear that the next brushstroke will ‘stuff it up’. In reality, there is either a way to repair the damage or the mishap turns the painting in a new direction, so, in many cases, the fear can be unwarranted.

Kandinsky’s work is precise. It’s not messy like mine, but it is brave, particularly obvious when you look at those who inspired his beginnings such as Monet and the famous French Impressionists. Kandinsky takes their influence and, through his brilliant filter, develops a completely new style of art.

So, be brave, I tell myself, even in my little corner of the art world. Now I feel excited about getting a brush or squeegee in, and paint on, my hands and enjoying the process.

Until later,

Kirsten