Beruflich Dokumente
Kultur Dokumente
NIKOLAI KULBIN
Free Art as the Basis of Life:
Harmony and Dissonance
(On Life, Death, etc.)
[Extracts], 1908
Born St. Petersburg, 1868; died St. Petersburg, 1917. Professor at the St. Petersburg
Military Academy and doctor to the General Staff; taught himself painting; IQO8:
organized the Impressionist groupj lecturer and theoretician; 1909: group broke up,
dissident members contributing to the founding of the Union of Youth, opened for-
mally in February 1910; 1910 on: peripheral contact with the Union of Youth; close
to the Burliuks, Vladimir Markov, Olga Rozanova; ca. 1913: illustrated futurist
booklets and other publications; 1914: invited Filippo Marinetti to Russia.
This piece, "Svobodnoe iskusstvo, как osnova zhizni. Garmoniya i dissonans. (O
zhizni, smerti i prochem)," appeared in fo e miscellany Studiya Impressionistov fStu-
dio of the Impressionists] (StTjPet^bujcgi.March 1910), pp. 3 - 1 4 [bibl. R224], and
these exG^ctTcoirie from pp. 3, 4, 8-10, 13-14. The "volume appeared just after the
"Impressionist" exhibition [see bibl. R221] and at the same time as Kulbin's exhibi-
tion the "Triangle" [bibl. R241] was opened in St. Petersburg (March 1910). It also
included poems by David and Nikolai Burliuk; Velimir Khlebnikov's famous poem
"Zaklyatie smekhom" [Incantation by Laughter]; a so-called monodrama, "Pred-
stavlenie lyubvi" [Presentation of Love], by Nikolai Evreinov (to which Kulbin con-
tributed three illustrations); an essay by Kulbin's scientific colleague Aleksei Bori-
syak, "O zhivopisi muzyki" [On Musical.Psiir)JingJ_; and Kulbin's 'lEree-MuaicJ'
(bibl. R227, a variant of which appeared in Der Blaue Reiter [The Blue Rider], bibl.
96). Essentially Kulbin was concerned with liberating art, literature, and music from
_conventional-patterns and replreinjg, these wift J^gmatmye'grinciple^T^'musiclie
foUawedc^ theories, of / ^ Q M j & c j t o ^ h ^ ^ n d was obviously influ-
enced b y j ^ current merest, ip sound-color rel£Uionsn^^^ni%sted. jby .Yasiiii Kan :
dinsk^ Aleksandr Skiyabin, and the St. Petersbu rg theosophist A l e k s a n ^ Unkovs^
kaya; similarly, Kulbin later welcomed Aleksei Kruchenykh's transrationayamguage
(zaum) and in painting went so far as to presagelfie"ma'ndala ШёоГу 'Ну maintaining
that "painting is the spontaneous projection of conditional signs from the artist's
brain into the picture" [bibl. R101, p. 151]. One of these conditional signs that Kul-
bin saw as recurrent in history was the a sign that we can identify, of
course, with then^phisj philosophy, with' Russian symbolist aesthetics, and with
Kandinsky's On the Spiritual in Arr Tne triangle assumed such importance for Kul-
bin that Reorganized an artists' group of that name and began to sign his writings
with its graphic representation. It was at the "Triangle" exhibition, in fact, and at
similar shows organized by Kulbin, such as Sovremennye techeniya v iskusstve [Con-
temporary Trends in Art], in St. Petersburg in May 1908, that experiments in^itor
I. Theory
/^go/offji^ Symboljof the universe. Delighj^ Beauty^fond googULove isj^aa^
ityrPr^esshsflrea ^ is the myth and
„the g^mbcKlSeeaom. дFsirugpe of Titans^tt)lvmpiis." РгоШёШшГапН"
HercWcST'Painting and servitude.
A single art—of | the word, mupic, and the plastic arts.
VASILII K A N D I N S K Y
Content and Form, 1910
Born Moscow, 1866; died Neuilly-sur-Seine, 1944. 1896: arrived in Munich; 1909:
with Alexei von Jawlensky et al. founded the Neue Kiinstlervereinigung [New Art-
ists' Association]; began Improvisations; 1909-10: Munich correspondent for Apol-
lon [bibl. R41]; 1910: contributed to the first "Knave of Diamonds" exhibition;
TJ)T i_T7,—fi j-pt QH^RART painting; exhibitions of Der Blaue Reiter [The Blue Rider];
1914-21: back in Russia; 1920: participated in the organization of Inkhuk; 1921: par-
ticipated in the organization of the Russian Academy of Artistic Sciences; 1921:
emigrated; 1922-33: taught at the Bauhaus.
The text of this piece, "Soderzhanie i forma," is from the catalogue for the second
Salon exhibition, organized by Vladimir Izdebsky in Odessa, December 1910-
Sovetskaya arkhitektura pervykh let Oktyabrya 1917-1925 ( M o s c o w , 1 9 7 0 ) , p . 2 5 [b
R21J.
4 0 . For details see A . Ya[nov], " K r i z i s k r a s o k , " Zhizn iskusstva
(Petersburg, no. 45, 1923, p.
15 [bibl. R 6 5 ] .
4 1 . Statement appended to Exter's contribution to the catalogue of the exhibition " 5 X 5 = 2 5 "
( M o s c o w , 1 9 2 1 ) , n . p . [bibl. R 4 4 6 ] .
4 2 . Statement appended to R o d c h e n k o ' s contribution, ibid. T h e exhibition " N o n o b j e c t i v e Cre-
a t i o n a n d S u p r e m a t i s m " o p e n e d , in fact, in J a n u a r y 1 9 1 9 , n o t 1 9 1 8 ( s e e p . 1 3 8 ) . A t t h e
1920 exhibition in M o s c o w ( " N i n e t e e n t h S t a t e " ) Kandinsky, S h e v c h e n k o , and Varst
(Stepanova) were also a m o n g those represented. Despite R o d c h e n k o ' s assertion that h e
" p r o c l a i m e d t h r e e b a s i c c o l o r s " at " 5 X 5 = 2 5 , " K u l b i n h a d s h o w n w o r k s w i t h t h e t i d e s
Blue on White and White on Green as e a r l y a s 1 9 1 0 , a t t h e " T r i a n g l e " e x h i b i t i o n i n S t . P e -
t e r s b u r g [bibl. R 2 4 1 ; a n d s e e p . 12]. I n a n y c a s e , M a l e v i c h , h a d , of c o u r s e , p a i n t e d h i s
White on White in 1918.
4 3 . Statement a p p e n d e d to Varst's (Stepanova's) contribution, ibid.
4 4 . Q u o t e d in L o b a n o v , Khudozhestvennye gruppirovki, p . 1 0 1 . A l t h o u g h p u r i s t a r t h a d still
b e e n s u p p o r t e d a t t h e c o n s t r u c t i v i s t s * first s e s s i o n w i t h i n I n k h u k o n M a r c h 1 8 , 1 9 2 1 , at-
tended by V . loganson, Konstantin Medunetsky, Aleksandr Rodchenko, Varvara Stepan-
o v a , a n d the Stenberg brothers, an industrial approach soon c a m e to b e favored. A s early
as A u g u s t 1921 Nikolai Tarabukin delivered a lecture at I n k h u k entitled " T h e Last Picture
H a s B e e n P a i n t e d " [for d e t a i l s s e e b i b l . 2 5 2 ] . I n D e c e m b e r o f t h e s a m e y e a r S t e p a n o v a
g a v e a t a l k o n c o n s t r u c t i v i s m in w h i c h s h e e m p h a s i z e d t h e v a l u e o f i n d u s t r i a l d e s i g n .
45. In Na putyakh iskusstva, e d . V . B l y u m e n f e l d e t a l . ( M o s c o w , 1 9 2 6 ) , p . 3 [bibl. R 3 8 1 ] .
Sovetskoe iskusstvo,
4 6 . Quoted in M a t s a , p. 310.
4 7 . T h e M a k o v e t s s o c i e t y w a s n a m e d after t h e hill o n w h i c h S e r g i i R a d o n e z h s k y b u i l t t h e
T r o i t s e - S e r g i e v a L a v r a ( n o w t h e Z a g o r s k m o n a s t e r y a n d m u s e u m c o m p l e x ) in t h e four-
t e e n t h c e n t u r y , a g e s t u r e t h a t e x p r e s s e d its m e m b e r s ' e m p h a s i s o n t h e s p i r i t u a l , religious
q u a l i t y o f art. T h i s w a s i m m e d i a t e l y a p p a r e n t i n t h e s o c i e t y ' s m a n i f e s t o , i s s u e d in t h e j o u r -
nal Makovets ( M o s c o w ) , n o . 1, 1 9 2 2 , p p . 3 - 4 [bibl. R 7 7 ] . F o r d e t a i l s o n C h e k r y g i n s e e
t h e c a t a l o g u e of h i s r e c e n t r e t r o s p e c t i v e [bibl. R 1 6 3 ] .
4 8 . S e e , for e x a m p l e , A l e k s e i F e d o r o v - D a v y d o v ' s i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e c a t a l o g u e o f K a z i m i r
M a l e v i c h ' s o n e - m a n e x h i b i t i o n a t t h e T r e t y a k o v G a l l e r y , M o s c o w , 1 9 2 9 [bibl. R 3 6 6 ] ; s e e
a l s o S e r g e i I s a k o v ' s i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e c a t a l o g u e of t h e u n r e a l i z e d P a v e l F i l o n o v e x h i b i -
tion a t t h e R u s s i a n M u s e u m , L e n i n g r a d , 1 9 3 0 [bibl. R 5 0 7 , a n d s e e p . 2 8 4 ] .
4 9 . Istoriya russkoi zhivopisi v XIX veke ( S t . P e t e r s b u r g , 1 9 0 1 - 1 9 0 2 ) , p . 2 7 4 . A n d s e e p . 5 .
KULBIN, p p . R I - 1 7
1. I n D e c e m b e r 1 9 1 1 , a t t h e A l l - R u s s i a n C o n v e n t i o n of A r t i s t s , i n S t . P e t e r s b u r g , . Kutttin^gaye
a lecture entitied " H a r m o n y , Dissonance, and Their Close Combination s i n A r ^ j w ^ i f e T y
w h i c h w a s l a t e r p u b l i s h e d [bibl. R 2 3 0 ] .
2. K u l b i n w a s i n t e r e s t e d i n m i c r o t o n e m u s i c ( w h a t h e c a l l e d " f r e e m u s i c " ) a n d i n t h e a s s o c i a -
t i o n s J r e t w w a t h e colof s p e c t r u m a n d t h e c o n v e n t i o n a l sevefl-tpne s c a l a . _ T h e s e c o n d a r t i c l e
I n Studio of the Impressionists w a s , in Tact, a p i e c e b y K u l b i n o n " F r e e M u s i c : T h e R e s u l t s
o f A p p l y i n g a T h e o r y o f Artistic C r e a t i o n t o M u s i c " [bibl. R 2 2 7 ] ; fhe m a i n i d e a s o f t h i s a r -
t i c l e h a d a l r e a d y a p p e a r e d in K u l b i n ' s b o o k l e t F r e e Music [bibl. R 2 2 6 ] , a n d later a p p e a r e d
in G e r m a n a s " D i e freie M u s i k " [bibl. 9 6 ] .
3. B y profession both C h e k h o v and Kulbin were doctors.
MARKav, p p . 2 3 - 3 8
1. " L o g i c h a s d e p r i v e d N a t u r e of t h e d i v i n e . " R e f e r e n c e n o t t r a c e d . P r o b a b l y a q u o t a t i o n from
Novalis or the early H e g e l .
2. For explanation of lubok see n. 4 to Introduction, p. 298.
3. P r e s u m a b l y a r e f e r e n c e t o t h e w r i t e r , c o m p o s e r , a n d p a i n t e r E . T . A . H o f f m a n n . L i k e
N o v a l i s a n d o t h e r G e r m a n r o m a n t i c s , H o f f m a n n e n j o y e d a v o g u e in R u s s i a i n t h e 1 9 0 0 s .
4 . M a r k o v ' s i d e a s o n " t e x t u r e " [fakmra] w e r e s c h e d u l e d t o a p p e a r in a s u b s e q u e n t i s s u e of
Soyuz molodezhi [ U n i o n of Y o u t h ] , b u t s i n c e t h e j o u r n a l c e a s e d p u b l i c a t i o n a l t e r t h e t h i r d
i s s u e ( M a r c h 1913}, M a r k o v ' s e s s a y w a s p u b l i s h e d s e p a r a t e l y [bibl. R 2 3 3 ] . A t t h e e n d o f
h i s text M a r k o v a l s o i n d i c a t e d t h a t h e w o u l d b e w r i t i n g o n o t h e r p r i n c i p l e s , s u c h as g r a v i t y ,
surface, d y n a m i s m , a n d c o n s o n a n c e , b u t t h e s e e s s a y s w e r e n e v e r p u b l i s h e d .
SHEVCHENKO, p p . 4 1 - 5 4
1. For explanation of lubok see n. 4 to Introduction, p . 298.
2. S i g n b o a r d s a n d t r a y s w e r e p a r t i c u l a r l y p r i z e d b y D a v i d B u r l i u k , w h o h a d a l a r g e c o l l e c t i o n
o f t h e m . M i k h a i l L a r i o n o v w a s v e r y i n t e r e s t e d i n t h e lubok a n d i n 1 9 1 3 o r g a n i z e d a n e x h i b i -
tion of t h e m [ s e e b i b l . R 2 5 2 a n d b i b l . 1 3 2 , p p . 3 3 - 3 7 , w h e r e p a r t of t h e c a t a l o g u e , i n c l u d -
ing L a r i o n o v ' s and Natalya G o n c h a r o v a ' s prefaces, is translated into French]. S h e v c h e n k o
c o l l e c t e d c h i l d r e n ' s d r a w i n ^ s ^ s o m e of w h i c h w e r e s h o w n a t t h e " T a r g e t " in 1 9 1 3 , t o g e t h e r
' " i t h гftnf )<wtls~afl3 f naive p a i n t i n g s b v t h e G e o r g i a n p r i m i t i v e N i k o P i r o s m a n a s f t v i l j .
3. P a i n t e r , w o o d s c u l p t o r , a n d s t a g e d e s i g n e r k n o w n for h i s h i g h l y s t y l i z e d d e p i c t i o n s o f p r e -
Petrine Russia.
4 . " G r a s s w r i t i n g " is p r e s u m a b l y a r e f e r e n c e t o t h e C h i n e s e ts'ao shu, a h i e r o g l y p h i c s t y l e
u s e d in t h e first a n d s e c o n d c e n t u r i e s A.D. I n a p p e a r a n c e ts'ao shu r e s e m b l e s i n t e r t w i n e d
leaves of grass.
5 . T h e t i d e " O l d B e l i e v e r s " refers t o t h o s e m e m b e r s o f t h e R u s s i a n C h u r c h w h o d i s a g r e e d
with e c c l e s i a s t i c a l r e f o r m s i n s t i t u t e d b y t h e P a t r i a r c h N i k o n i n t h e m i d - s e v e n t e e n t h c e n t u r y .
A m o n g t h e first t o c o n d e m n N i k o n ' s p r e f e r e n c e for t h e G r e e k O r t h o d o x a n d h e n c e m o r e
W e s t e r n c o n c e p t i o n of C h r i s t i a n i t y w a s t h e f a m o u s P e t r o v i c h A w a k u m , t r a d i t i o n a l l y re-
garded as the founder of the O l d Believers. T h e general policy of the Old Believers, w h o
w e r e f r o m all c l a s s e s , w a s , d e s p i t e forceful o p p o s i t i o n , t o m a i n t a i n t h e r i c h , B y z a n t i n e tradi-
t i o n s of t h e C h u r c h ; t h i s affected c o n s i d e r a b l y t h e o u t w a r d a p p e a r a n c e o f their d r e s s , i c o n s ,
lubki, etc.
6 . S e e L a r i o n o v ' s a r t i c l e s , p p . 87ff.
AKSENOV, p p . 6 0 - 6 9
1. M e m b e r o f t h e W a n d e r e r s . K n o w n for h i s s c e n e s o f factory a n d p r i s o n life. R e g a r d i n g
Repin see Introduction.
2. F o r further d e t a i l s r e g a r d i n g t h e K n a v e of D i a m o n d s m e m b e r s w h o m A k s e n o v m e n t i o n s , t h e
f o l l o w i n g r e f e r e n c e s m a y b e c o n s u l t e d : M a s h k o v [bibl. R 3 2 3 ] , K u p r i n [bibl. R 3 2 4 , R 3 3 1 ] ,
R o z h d e s t v e n s k y [ b i b l . R 3 4 3 ] , L e n t u l o v [bibl. R 3 0 9 , R 3 2 2 J , K o n c h a l o v s k y [bibl. R 3 1 6 ,
R 3 1 7 ] , F a l k [bibl. 1 0 5 , R 2 6 0 , R 3 4 6 ] , E x t e r [ b i b l . 6 1 , 8 0 , R 1 8 1 ] .
Russian Art
of t h e Avant-Garde
Theory and Criticism
1902-1934
Edited and Translated
by John E. Bowlt
P r i n t e d in U . S . A .
Acknowledgments: H a r v a r d U n i v e r s i t y P r e s s a n d L u n d H u m p h r i e s P u b l i s h e r s L t d . : " R e a l i s t i c
M a n i f e s t o " f r o m Gabo b y N a u m G a b o . C o p y r i g h t © 1 9 5 7 b y L u n d H u m p h r i e s . R e p r i n t e d b y
p e r m i s s i o n . T h a m e s a n d H u d s o n L t d . : " S u p r e m a t i s m in W o r l d R e c o n s t r u c t i o n , 1 9 2 0 " by El
Lissitsky.
Preface vii
List of Illustrations xv
Introduction xix