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The originality of Kandinsky's compositions

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Abstract

Vasily Kandinsky (1866–1944) is one of the most original artists and thinkers of our century. His work presents radically new ways of visually expressing images and meanings. Through analysis of major works of art and citations from the artist's writings, this paper introduces Kandinsky's practice and theory of composition to a general audience. His most distinctive compositional devices — the use of multiple foci, the articulation or blunting of corners, the placement and coloring of weighty forms, the disassociation of color from line and the scattering of compositional elements — are illustrated in each of the main phases of his career.

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Barnett, V.E., Barnett, P.H. The originality of Kandinsky's compositions. The Visual Computer 5, 203–213 (1989). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02153750

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