I have always loved the colour blue with its different tones and shades. It inspires me, makes me happy, thoughtful and calm…..unless when worn by a certain football team now being managed by the amazing Pep Guardiola…anyway back to art and photography, (but Pep is an art lover).
I recently read a wonderful book by Will Gompertz called ‘What Are You Looking At ? 150 Years Of Modern Art In The Blink Of An Eye’ and was inspired by a chapter about Der Blaue Reiter group of artists. This inspired me to take a series of abstract photographs focussing on the colour blue, but first a bit of background.
These 20th century abstract Artists included Franz Mark, August Macke, Schoenberg but it was Delaunay and Wassily Kandinsky who were the most influential.
Kandinsky believed; “..colours have powers that influence the soul-colour is the keyboard,the eyes are the hammers, the soul is is the piano with many strings.The Artist is the hand that plays, touching one key ore another to course vibrations in the soul “ Kandinsky Concerning The Spirutual In Art.
While listening to a score of music by Schoenberg at the Bolshi Theatre in Moscow, Kandinsky saw different colours, and it was that experience which led to his radical theories about abstract art. This new concept was called Orphism named after the Greek poet and musician.Kandinsky became motivated to create abstract art which could evoke different emotions and the imagination like that of instrumental music .
Houses of Murnau -Kandinsky 1909
Improvisation 4 1909 – Kandinsky
Composition VII 1913 – Kandinsky
Study, Squares with Concentric Circles 1913- Kandinsky
Kandinsky and his fellow Artists believed that blue was a symbolic colour……
- saturated with unique spiritual qualities
- “synthesise” the inner nature of things
- Feelings unconscious mind with the external world and the universe
And now my Blaue……
Mr P’s Beautiful Blues
Visions Of Blue
Suspended
“Oh You’ve Got Blue Eyes “
Messed Up World
I hope these photographs have inspired you and also made you think about if or how different colours effect you, and can visual art have the same emotional and creative impact on you as music……erm?
Further information can be found at http://www.wassilykandinsky.net/year-1913.php
What Are You Looking At ? 150Years Of Modern Art In The Blink Of An Eye – William Gompertz
Concerning The Spiritual In Art – Wassily Kandinsky
Mr P’s Beautiful Blues
Closer 