Suprematism

Suprematism (Russian: супремати́зм) is an early 20th-century art movement that emphasized fundamental geometric forms, such as circles, squares, and rectangles, executed with a restricted palette. The term suprematism denotes an abstract artistic approach grounded in "the supremacy of pure artistic feeling," prioritizing this over the figurative representation of objective reality.

Established by Russian artist Kazimir Malevich in 1913, the movement, through its associated group Supremus (Russian: Супремус), posited the artist as emancipated from all predetermining structures of life and art. Malevich, who admired Cubism for its capacity to deconstruct artistic conventions and redefine its foundational principles, extended this vision. He subsequently spearheaded a collective of Russian avant-garde artists, including Aleksandra Ekster, Liubov Popova, Olga Rozanova, Ivan Kliun, Ivan Puni, Nadezhda Udaltsova, Nina Genke-Meller, and Ksenia Boguslavskaya, among others. This initiative has been characterized as the inaugural independent endeavor to establish a Russian avant-garde movement, diverging from the established course of Russian art history.

In furtherance of the movement, Malevich founded the journal Supremus, originally designated as Nul or Nothing, featuring contributions from both artists and philosophers. Despite these efforts, the publication failed to launch, and its inaugural issue remained undistributed, a consequence of the Russian Revolution. Nevertheless, the movement's formal announcement occurred at Malevich's 1915 Last Futurist Exhibition of Paintings 0,10 in St. Petersburg, where he, alongside several members of his collective, presented 36 works adhering to the Suprematist aesthetic.

Origins of the Movement

Kazimir Malevich formulated the concept of Suprematism while already an accomplished painter, having previously showcased Cubo-Futurist works at the 1912 Donkey's Tail and Der Blaue Reiter (The Blue Rider) exhibitions. This period, marked by a burgeoning of novel artistic expressions across painting, poetry, and theatre, coupled with a renewed appreciation for traditional Russian folk art, fostered a fertile milieu for the emergence of Modernist culture.

In "Suprematism" (Part II of his book The Non-Objective World, published in 1927 in Munich as Bauhaus Book No. 11), Malevich articulated the fundamental tenets of Suprematism:

Under Suprematism I understand the primacy of pure feeling in creative art. To the Suprematist, the visual phenomena of the objective world are, in themselves, meaningless; the significant thing is feeling, as such, quite apart from the environment in which it is called forth.

Malevich devised a Suprematist "grammar" founded upon elementary geometric shapes, notably the square and the circle. His initial explorations into Suprematist painting were showcased at the 1915 0.10 Exhibition. The exhibition's focal point was the Black Square, strategically positioned in the red/beautiful corner, a location traditionally reserved for the principal icon in Russian Orthodox homes. Executed in 1915, the Black Square was hailed as a pivotal achievement in Malevich's artistic trajectory and in the broader context of art history. Another significant work, White on White, also recognized as a landmark, signaled a transition from polychromatic to monochromatic Suprematism.

Distinction from Constructivism

Malevich's Suprematism stands in fundamental opposition to the post-revolutionary tenets of Constructivism and materialism. Constructivism, characterized by its veneration of the object, prioritizes utilitarian approaches, adapting art to principles of functional organization. Within the Constructivist framework, the conventional easel painter is reimagined as an artist-engineer, tasked with orchestrating all facets of life.

In stark contrast to Constructivism, Suprematism espouses a profoundly anti-materialist and anti-utilitarian philosophy. As articulated by Malevich in "Suprematism" (Part II of The Non-Objective World), he states:

Art no longer cares to serve the state and religion, it no longer wishes to illustrate the history of manners, it wants to have nothing further to do with the object, as such, and believes that it can exist, in and for itself, without "things" (that is, the "time-tested well-spring of life").

Jean-Claude Marcadé observed that "Despite superficial similarities between Constructivism and Suprematism, the two movements are nevertheless antagonists and it is very important to distinguish between them." Marcadé posited that this confusion stems from several artists—some directly associated with Suprematism, such as El Lissitzky, and others working under its influence, like Rodchenko and Lyubov Popova—who later shifted their artistic focus from Suprematism to the culture of materials.

Suprematism diverges from a humanist philosophy that centralizes humanity within the cosmos. Instead, it posits the artist as both the progenitor and conveyor of what Malevich identified as the singular authentic reality of the world: absolute non-objectivity.

...a blissful sense of liberating non-objectivity drew me forth into a "desert", where nothing is real except feeling...

Malevich contended that the future of the universe would be established upon the tenets of absolute non-objectivity, envisioning an era in which appearances, material objects, comfort, and convenience no longer exert primary influence.

Influences on the Movement's Development

Malevich attributed the emergence of Suprematism to Victory Over the Sun, a Futurist opera by Kruchenykh, for which Malevich created the set and costume designs in 1913. The artists involved aimed to rupture with conventional past theater and to employ a "clear, pure, logical Russian language." Malevich actualized this by constructing costumes from rudimentary materials, thus leveraging geometric shapes. Intermittent headlights illuminated the figures, causing alternating hands, legs, or heads to recede into darkness. The stage curtain was a black square. A preliminary drawing for the backcloth illustrates a black square diagonally divided into black and white triangles. The elemental simplicity of these forms enabled them to signify a new genesis.

A notable influence on Malevich stemmed from the concepts of P. D. Ouspensky, a Russian mystic, philosopher, and disciple of Georges Gurdjieff, who posited "a fourth dimension or a Fourth Way beyond the three to which our ordinary senses have access."

Certain painting titles from 1915 articulate the concept of non-Euclidean geometry, depicting forms in motion or evolving through time; an illustrative example is: Two dimensional painted masses in the state of movement. These titles provide valuable indications for understanding the Suprematic compositions created between 1915 and 1918.

The Supremus Journal

From 1915 onward, the Supremus group, which included Malevich, Aleksandra Ekster, Olga Rozanova, Nadezhda Udaltsova, Ivan Kliun, Lyubov Popova, Lazar Khidekel, Nikolai Suetin, Ilya Chashnik, Nina Genke-Meller, Ivan Puni, and Ksenia Boguslavskaya, convened to discuss the philosophical underpinnings of Suprematism and its potential expansion into other intellectual spheres. The deliberations were slated for documentation in a monthly publication titled Supremus, a name chosen to reflect the art movement it championed, and intended to cover painting, music, decorative art, and literature. Malevich conceptualized the journal as the contextual bedrock for his artistic principles, initially planning to name it Nul. In correspondence with a colleague, he elaborated:

We are planning to put out a journal and have begun to discuss the how and what of it. Since in it we intend to reduce everything to zero, we have decided to call it Nul. Afterward we ourselves will go beyond zero.

Malevich conceptualized the journal as an experimental forum designed to validate his theory of nonobjective art. The artist group authored several articles for the prospective inaugural publication, including essays such as "The Mouth of the Earth and the Artist" (Malevich), "On the Old and the New in Music" (Matiushin), "Cubism, Futurism, Suprematism" (Rozanova), "Architecture as a Slap in the Face to Ferroconcrete" (Malevich), and "The Declaration of the Word as Such" (Kruchenykh). However, despite a year dedicated to planning and article composition, the initial issue of Supremus was never released.

El Lissitzky: A Conduit to the West

A pivotal figure who extended and disseminated Malevich's artistic concepts internationally was the painter El Lissitzky. Lissitzky engaged profoundly with Suprematism, particularly between 1919 and 1923. He was profoundly influenced by Malevich's Suprematist oeuvre, perceiving it as the theoretical and visual manifestation of contemporary Russian societal transformations. He regarded Suprematism's radicalism as the artistic parallel to an emergent societal structure. Lissitzky applied Malevich's principles to his Proun constructions, which he characterized as "the transitional point from painting to architecture". Nevertheless, the Proun designs also represented a departure from Suprematism; Malevich's Black Square marked the culmination of a stringent conceptual trajectory, necessitating subsequent innovative structural design. Lissitzky identified this new trajectory within his Proun constructions, with the term "Proun" (Pro Unovis) signifying their Suprematist genesis.

Lissitzky showcased his work in Berlin in 1923, specifically at the Hanover and Dresden Non-Objective Art showrooms. During his Western travels, El Lissitzky maintained close communication with Theo van Doesburg, thereby establishing a conceptual link between Suprematism, De Stijl, and the Bauhaus movement.

Architecture

Lazar Khidekel (1904–1986), a Suprematist artist and visionary architect, stands as the sole Suprematist architect to have originated from Malevich's immediate circle. Khidekel commenced his architectural studies at the Vitebsk art school under El Lissitzky during 1919–20. He played a pivotal role in the evolution from planar to volumetric Suprematism, evidenced by his creation of axonometric projections (e.g., The Aero-club: Horizontal architecton, 1922–23), three-dimensional models like the architectons, object designs (e.g., a model of an "Ashtray", 1922–23), and the inaugural Suprematist architectural project (The Workers' Club, 1926). By the mid-1920s, he embarked on explorations within visionary architecture. Drawing direct inspiration from Suprematism and its concept of an organic continuum in form-creation, he investigated novel philosophical, scientific, and technological futuristic methodologies. He subsequently proposed innovative solutions for new urban environments, designed to foster human harmony with nature and provide protection from both anthropogenic and natural calamities (including his enduringly relevant flood protection proposal, the City on the Water, 1925).

Nikolai Suetin applied Suprematist motifs to pieces produced at the Imperial Porcelain Factory in Saint Petersburg, an institution where Malevich and Chashnik also worked, and where Malevich himself designed a Suprematist teapot. During the 1920s, Suprematist artists also constructed architectural models, presenting an alternative vision for socialist buildings compared to those emerging from Constructivist architecture.

Subsequent to 1922, Malevich's architectural endeavors were designated as Arkhitektoniki. These designs prominently featured the right angle, exhibiting parallels with the aesthetics of De Stijl and Le Corbusier, and were ideologically rationalized through their association with communist governance and universal equality. Furthermore, a component of this formalism involved a diminished appreciation for triangular forms, which were "dismissed as ancient, pagan, or Christian".

Lazar Khidekel originated the first Suprematist architectural project in 1926. Between the mid-1920s and 1932, Lazar Khidekel additionally developed a series of futuristic concepts, including Aero-City, Garden-City, and City Over Water.

In the 21st century, architect Zaha Hadid demonstrated 'a particular interest [in] the Russian avant-garde, and the movement known as Constructivism.' Her architectural unit, as part of its engagement with the Russian avant-garde, 'studied Suprematism, the abstract movement founded by the painter Kazimir Malevich.'

Social context

This evolution in artistic expression emerged during a period of revolutionary upheaval in Russia, characterized by intellectual ferment and the dismantling of the established order. With the consolidation of the new political structure and the rise of Stalinism from 1924 onward, the state progressively curtailed artistic liberties. Beginning in the late 1920s, the Russian avant-garde faced severe official censure. By 1934, the doctrine of Socialist Realism was formally adopted as state policy, effectively proscribing abstraction and any deviation in artistic expression. Despite these restrictions, Malevich maintained his core artistic philosophy. In his 1933 self-portrait, he depicted himself in a conventional manner—the sole style sanctioned by Stalinist cultural policy—yet subtly inscribed the painting with a small black-over-white square.

Prominent Exhibitions

Historical Exhibitions

• The Exhibition of Modern Decorative Art was held at the Lemercier Gallery in Moscow in 1915.
• Galerie Dobychina in Petrograd hosted The Last Futurist Exhibition of Paintings 0.10 in 1915.
• The First Russian Art Exhibition took place at Galerie Van Diemen in Berlin in 1922.
• Vitebsk hosted the First State Exhibition of Local and Moscow Artists in 1919.
• The Exhibition of Paintings by Petrograd Artists of All Trends was presented in Petrograd in 1923, covering works from 1918 to 1923.

Retrospective Exhibitions

• The Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York featured The Great Utopia: The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde, 1915-1932 in 1992.
• The State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg presented Malevich's Circle. Confederates. Students. Followers in Russia 1920s-1950s in 2000.
• In 2003, the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum in New York exhibited Kazimir Malevich: Suprematism.
• Galerie Gmurzynska in Zürich hosted Zaha Hadid and Suprematism in 2010.
• The Judah L. Magnes Museum in Berkeley, CA, showcased Lazar Khidekel: Surviving Suprematism from 2004 to 2005.
• House Konstruktiv in Zurich presented Lazar Markovich Khidekel – the Rediscovered Suprematist between 2010 and 2011.
• The Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam featured Kazimir Malevich and the Russian Avant-Garde in 2013.
• Tate Modern in London exhibited Malevich: Revolutionary of Russian Art in 2014.
• New York City hosted Floating Worlds and Future Cities. Genius of Lazar Khidekel, Suprematism and Russian Avant-garde. in 2013.

Artists Affiliated with Suprematism

• Kazimir Malevich
• El Lissitzky
• Ilya Chashnik
• Lazar Khidekel
• Anna Kogan
• Alexandra Exter
• Lyubov Popova
• Sergei Senkin

References and Sources

References

Sources

• Malevich, Kasimir. The Non-Objective World. Translated by Howard Dearstyne from A. von Riesen's 1927 German translation of Malevich's original Russian manuscript. Paul Theobald and Company, Chicago, 1959.
• Gray, Camilla. The Russian Experiment in Art. Thames and Hudson, 1976.
• Gooding, Mel. Abstract Art. Tate Publishing, 2001.
• Marcadé, Jean-Claude. "What is Suprematism?" In the exhibition catalogue, Kasimir Malewitsch zum 100. Geburtstag. Galerie Gmurzynska, Cologne, 1978.

Marcadé, Jean-Claude. "Malevich, Painting and Writing: On the Development of a Suprematist Philosophy." In Kazimir Malevich: Suprematism. Guggenheim Museum, April 17, 2012 [Kindle Edition].

• Jean-Claude Marcadé, "Malevich, Painting and Writing: On the Development of a Suprematist Philosophy", Kazimir Malevich: Suprematism, Guggenheim Museum, April 17, 2012 [Kindle Edition]
• Marcadé, Jean-Claude. "Some Remarks on Suprematism." And Martineau, Emmanuel. "A Philosophy of the 'Suprema'." In the exhibition catalogue Suprematisme. Galerie Jean Chauvelin, Paris, 1977.
• Lamac, Miroslav, and Juri Padrta. "The Idea of Suprematism." In the exhibition catalogue, Kasimir Malewitsch zum 100. Geburtstag. Galerie Gmurzynska, Cologne, 1978.
• Khidekel, Lazar, and Suprematism. By Regina Khidekel, Charlotte Douglas, Magdolena Dabrowsky, Alla Rosenfeld, Tatiana Goriatcheva, and Constantin Boym. Prestel Publishing, 2014.
• Khan-Magomedov, S. O. Lazar Khidekel (Creators of Russian Classical Avant-garde series). M., 2008.
• Efimova, Alla. Surviving Suprematism: Lazar Khidekel. Judah L. Magnes Museum, Berkeley, CA, 2004.
• Khan-Magomedov, S.O. Pioneers of the Soviet Design. Galart, Moscow, 1995.
• Khan-Magomedov, Selim, and Regina Khidekel. Lazar Markovich Khidekel. Suprematism and Architecture. Leonard Hutton Galleries, New York, 1995.
• Schatskikh, Alexandra. "Unovis: Epicenter of a New World." In The Great Utopia. The Russian and Soviet Avant-Garde 1915–1932. Solomon Guggenheim Museum, 1992; State Tretiakov Gallery; State Russian Museum; Schirn Kunsthalle, Frankfurt.
• Khidekel, Mark. "Suprematism and Architectural Projects of Lazar Khidekel." Architectural Design 59, no. 7–8 (1989).
• Khidekel, Mark. Suprematism in Architecture. L’Arca, Italy, no. 27 (1989).
• Chan-Magomedow, Selim O. Pioniere der sowjetischen Architectur. VEB Verlag der Kunst, Dresden, 1983.
• Zhadova, Larissa A. Malevich: Suprematism and Revolution in Russian Art 1910–1930. Thames and Hudson, London, 1982.
• Zhadowa, Larissa A. Suche und Experiment. Russische und sowjetische Kunst 1910 bis 1930. VEB Verlag der Kunst, Dresden, 1978.

• Media related to Suprematism at Wikimedia Commons
• Quotations related to Suprematism at Wikiquote
• Kazimir Malevich's Suprematism Manifesto: Online excerpts from the seminal art manifesto.
• The Suprematist Manifesto.