Posted: January 22nd, 2024

Color Psychology in the Works of Kazimir Malevich

Color Psychology in the Works of Kazimir Malevich

Kazimir Malevich was a Russian painter and sculptor who founded the artistic and philosophical school of Suprematism, which aimed to express the supremacy of pure feeling through abstract forms and colors. Malevich believed that art should transcend subject matter and represent the absolute truth of shape and color. In this blog post, we will explore how Malevich used color psychology to create his Suprematist paintings, which challenged the conventional notions of realism and perspective.

Color psychology is the study of how colors affect human emotions, behaviors, and perceptions. Different colors can evoke different psychological responses, such as happiness, sadness, anger, or calmness. Colors can also influence how we perceive objects, spaces, and situations. For example, warm colors like red, orange, and yellow can make objects appear closer or larger, while cool colors like blue, green, and purple can make them appear farther or smaller.

Malevich was aware of the psychological effects of colors and used them deliberately in his Suprematist compositions. He experimented with various combinations of colors and shapes to create dynamic contrasts and harmonies that expressed his inner feelings and visions. He also used colors to create a sense of depth and movement in his paintings, despite the absence of any recognizable forms or references to reality.

One of Malevich’s most famous paintings is Black Square (1915), which consists of a black square on a white background. This painting represents Malevich’s radical break from the traditional representation of reality and his quest for the essence of painting. The black square symbolizes the pure feeling that Malevich wanted to convey through his art, while the white background represents the nothingness or infinity that surrounds it. The black square also evokes a sense of mystery, power, and negation, as it rejects any association with the visible world. The white background, on the other hand, suggests a sense of openness, lightness, and possibility, as it invites the viewer to imagine what lies beyond the black square.

Another example of Malevich’s use of color psychology is White on White (1918), which consists of a white square on a slightly tilted white background. This painting represents Malevich’s further reduction of painting to its bare minimum and his attempt to reach the highest level of abstraction. The white square symbolizes the purest form of feeling that Malevich could achieve through his art, while the white background represents the infinite space that contains it. The white color also evokes a sense of purity, clarity, and transcendence, as it eliminates any distraction or interference from other colors. The slight tilt of the white square creates a subtle impression of depth and movement in the painting, as it suggests that the square is floating or shifting in space.

Malevich’s Suprematist paintings demonstrate how color psychology can be used to create abstract art that communicates emotions and ideas without relying on any representation of reality. Malevich used colors to express his feelings and visions in a universal language that could be understood by anyone who was willing to look beyond the surface of his paintings. He also used colors to challenge the viewers’ perception of reality and invite them to experience a new dimension of art.

References:

– Kazimir Malevich | Biography, Art, Suprematism, White on White, & Facts … (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2024 from https://www.britannica.com/biography/Kazimir-Malevich
– Kasimir Malevich Quotes About Color | Sensational Color (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2024 from https://www.sensationalcolor.com/malevich-quotes-color/
– Painterly Realism of a Football Player—Color Masses in the 4th … (n.d.). Retrieved January 22, 2024 from https://www.artic.edu/artworks/207293/painterly-realism-of-a-football-player-color-masses-in-the-4th-dimension