Wassily Kandinsky

One hundred years ago, Wassily Kandinsky wrote “On the Problem of Form,” a foundational essay on abstraction in art.  Defending his non-objective compositions, Kandinsky theorized that the most virtuous aesthetics stem from an artist’s ability to visually express themselves:

… it is not the most important that the form is personal, national, or has style; whether or not it is in accordance with the major contemporary movements; whether or not it is related to many or few other forms; whether or not it stands completely by itself: but rather the most important thing in the question of form is whether or not the form has grown out of the inner necessity.

Throughout the early 20^th century, it is evident that Kandinsky relied heavily on color to create his own visual language.  Kandinsky was a pioneer of abstract art and an advocate for a new aesthetic, founded on the principle of freedom in artistic expression.

Above are two of my personal favorites: Panel for Edwin R. Campbell No. 3 and Black Lines (see links for Kandinsky in the MoMA and Guggenheim collections.) 

MoMA-

http://www.moma.org/collection/browse_results.php?criteria=O%3AAD%3AE%3A2981%7CA%3AAR%3AE%3A1&page_number=&template_id=6&sort_order=1

Guggenheim-

http://www.guggenheim.org/new-york/collections/collection-online/show-list/artist/k/?search=Vasily%20Kandinsky