Concerning the Spiritual in Art

“But hungry souls go away hungry.”

Kandinsky describes the effect of aestheticist art, dominated by the motto “art for art’s sake” (4), on the public. He believes that such art does not satisfy the need of the soul for spiritual sustenance, because it is concerned merely with technical perfection and accomplishment. Kandinsky will outline an alternative aesthetic based on the expression of inner spiritual ideas.

“This ‘what’ is the internal truth which only art can divine, which only art can express by those means of expression which are hers alone.”

Kandinsky believes that art should be concerned with a “what” (i.e., spiritual ideas) instead of simply a “how” (i.e., technique). Presently, mainstream art is concerned mainly with “how.” The artist of the future must overcome this by listening to his inner voice that will help him give “free scope to his finer feelings” (9). Kandinsky compares the relationship between spiritual substance and technique to that between the soul and the body.

“That which has no material existence cannot be subjected to a material classification.”

Declaring the primacy of spirit over matter, Kandinsky expresses his conviction that it is not possible to theorize about the art of the future, only about art of the past. This statement aligns with Kandinsky’s conviction that theory follows practice, not the other way around.

“When religion, science and morality are shaken, the two last by the strong hand of Nietzsche, and when the outer supports threaten to fall, man turns his gaze from externals in on to himself.”

Kandinsky describes the upheaval in Western thought from the Enlightenment through the 19th century—a process that first saw science and reason exalted as the only sources of knowledge and ended with both being called into question. Kandinsky argues that this state of doubt and uncertainty leads man to look inward and become more spiritual and less materialistic, thus leading to a richer artistic experience.

“Every man who steeps himself in the spiritual possibilities of his art is a valuable helper in the building of the spiritual pyramid which will some day reach to heaven.”

Building on the idea of the spiritual triangle, Kandinsky uses the image of a “spiritual pyramid” to illustrate the idea that all the arts are coming together and contributing to the spiritual betterment of society. This process will depend on all artists becoming individually more spiritual and founding their art on spiritual principles.

“It is evident therefore that color harmony must rest only on a corresponding vibration in the human soul; and this is one of the guiding principles of the inner need.”

According to Kandinsky, art affects viewers by causing an “inner vibration” in their souls, and this is achieved largely through the power of color. Kandinsky holds that color should be used for its emotional properties alone, and not in a naturalistic or realistic manner.

“The desire of the future will be purely the expression of the inner meaning.”

Here, Kandinsky is discussing the process in which an artist selects his subjects from nature and idealizes them, so as to get at the essence and character of the subject free from “non-essentials.” Kandinsky believes that the art of the future will emphasize emotional and spiritual qualities of subjects over faithful copying of nature.

“There is no ‘must’ in art, because art is free.”

After having argued in favor of abstraction, Kandinsky steps back a bit from this position and admits that artists should be able to depict whatever the inner need requires. Thus, Kandinsky resists making a dogmatic requirement of abstraction and declares that potentially any object can serve spiritual ends in art.

“The more abstract is form, the more clear and direct is its appeal.”

A clear and direct claim by Kandinsky on behalf of abstract art. The advantage of abstraction, for Kandinsky, is that it presents emotion directly, without the mediation of material objects. He goes on to state that artists should work to make their paintings more abstract by eliminating the material wherever possible. Immediately after this, Kandinsky will temper his claim somewhat by saying that artists may “harmonize” abstraction with materiality.

“In short, the working of the inner need and the development of art is an ever-advancing expression of the eternal and objective in the terms of the periodic and subjective.”

Kandinsky draws a contrast between the elements of art that are objective and abstract—like color and form and line—and those which come from the artist’s individuality, such as his feelings and style and personality (including the distinctive characteristics of a particular time or place). The interplay of these two elements contributes to a work of art that will speak meaningfully to viewers. While the external elements change, the inner elements are timeless, and it’s these inner elements that constitute the true “greatness” of art.

“In short, the working of the inner need and the development of art is an ever-advancing expression of the eternal and objective in the terms of the periodic and subjective.”

Artists express universal emotions and values in terms specific to their historical period, nation, personality, etc. Art is thus an interaction between the universal and the particular. Kandinsky calls the eternal element “pure artistry” and identifies it with the inner need. It is the most essential element in art and the one which survives even if the more superficial aspects are no longer relevant.

“The artist may use any form which his expression demands; for his inner impulse must find suitable outward expression.”

The inner need—consisting of an artist’s personal feelings and ideas—is the supreme guide for the artist, alone dictating what form their art shall take (e.g., whether abstract or representational). Thus, the inner need trumps merely technical criteria of what and how a painter should create his work.

“All means are sacred which are called for by the inner need. All means are sinful which obscure that inner need.”

Elaborating on the previous quote, Kandinsky declares that the artist must seek “means” (e.g., techniques, styles, subjects, etc.) that express his inner need, not ones motivated by external considerations dictated by authority or convention. Expressing the inner need is the principal criterion for a work of art, not fashions and conventions that change with time.

“In real art theory does not precede practice, but follows her. Everything is, at first, a matter of feeling.”

For Kandinsky, personal expression is more important in art than theorizing about artistic technique. The artistic process starts with the expression of feeling, and only afterward are we able to make sense of it intellectually. Without denying the importance of reason, Kandinsky asserts that reason follows feeling in the artistic process.

“But everything which adequately expresses the inner need is beautiful.”

Once again Kandinsky declares an artist’s inner impulse as the sole criterion in art. Because the inner need expresses a variety of emotions, it may require art that is not conventionally “beautiful.” Yet Kandinsky implies that the expressiveness of such art may compensate for the lack of conventional beauty and constitutes a kind of beauty in itself. Picasso’s Cubist canvases make a good point of reference for this quote.

“The way to the supernatural lies through the natural. And we mortals passing from the earthly yellow to the heavenly blue must pass through green.”

For Kandinsky, yellow is the color of common everyday joy, while blue is that of an unearthly tranquility. Green, as a combination of blue and yellow, mediates between the two and represents a midway point between heaven and earth. In the first sentence, Kandinsky suggests the concept, common to Christianity, that there are two realms, the natural (earth) and the supernatural (heaven) and the former is a stepping stone to the latter.

“At the call of the inner need that which is outwardly foul may be inwardly pure, and vice versa.”

Elaborating on the previous quote, Kandinsky implies that the inner need makes us look beyond conventional standards of beauty and to see beauty as related to inner intention. Even something that is “ugly” by conventional standards may have moral value in that it expresses the inner need. By “vice versa,” Kandinsky inverts the saying to mean that the inwardly foul may be outwardly pure—i.e., a work of art that appears conventionally beautiful may express an evil morality or inner intent.

“Among artists one often hears the question, ‘How are you?’ answered gloomily by the words ‘Feeling very violet.’”

This footnote of Kandinsky wittily suggests the emotional power possessed by color. Colors have within themselves the power to make us feel certain emotions, and artists are most aware of this. Kandinsky characterizes violet as “sad and ailing”; an equivalent expression in English would be “feeling blue,” but Kandinsky identifies blue with calm rather than sadness.

“It is the conviction that nothing mysterious can ever happen in our everyday life that has destroyed the joy of abstract thought.”

One of Kandinsky’s major philosophical targets in the book is scientific materialism and rationalism, which he believes destroy the sense of mystery which inspires artistic creation. Here, Kandinsky further connects the mysterious with abstraction which, for him, expresses inner feeling in its purest form.

“Both arts must learn from music that every harmony and every discord which springs from the inner spirit is beautiful, and that it is essential that they should spring from the inner spirit and from that alone.”

As repeated throughout the book, Kandinsky sees music as a model for visual art because it springs directly from emotion without having to detour through physical depiction. Music also admits discord (dissonance) as a means of expression instead of always having to be conventionally “pretty” or “beautiful.”

“The work of art is born of the artist in a mysterious and secret way.”

Kandinsky again affirms the origins of art in the inner being of the artist rather than as a mechanical reproduction of material nature. He also implies that art to some extent defies rational analysis and has an element of mystery, thus going against the trends of scientific materialism.

“The artist must have something to say, for mastery over form is not his goal but rather the adapting of form to its inner meaning.”

Like several other maxims in the book, Kandinsky presents this one in italics so as to make it stand out and underline its importance as a central principle of his aesthetics. This one emphasizes the primacy of meaning over technique in art. The purpose of art is not technique for its own sake, but technique in service to an idea.

“That is beautiful which is produced by the inner need, which springs from the soul.”

Once again Kandinsky stresses the primacy of the inner need. It, rather than conventional aesthetic standards, is the criterion of what is beautiful. As long as the artist is expressing his inner feelings, the result will be beautiful, according to Kandinsky.