Between Kandinsky and Me

Someone once said you don't really understand a topic if you're unable to talk about it. For the most part, that proves true. However, what happens if you can "talk" about it, but it's in a language others don't understand? Doesn't that count? On the rare occasion I discover someone with whom I can converse in my own language, I'm over the moon!

I would have loved to have a visual conversation with Wassily Kandinsky! Brushes in hand, canvases ready, set... go! I imagine it to be akin to a convo with Michio Kaku, but with visual expression. Too bad I don't speak the language of physics and Dr. Kaku probably doesn't speak much art. That convo has potential, too, lol!

In Intersecting Lines, 1923, I can see a lot of what I've thought over the years represented by another artist a century ago. If I were a gambler, I would be willing to bet Kandinsky was a synesthete! It's true the viewer brings their own interpretation to the work, but I feel like we could've "talked" about so many things because his visual language resonates with me in a profound way. In this painting, I see math, science, music, time, patterns of the universe, the expression of multidimensional theories, and so on. Although I dunno what he actually intended to convey, and I think it's somewhat convoluted, it's still clear as day to me.

The most I know about Kandinsky is his visual body of work. I don't typically even know the titles... I had to Google the above, lol! I would venture to say he understood deep things but didn't have the language to express them verbally. I see tremendous possible-truths in his art; Carl Sagan-worthy theories.

In my young-artist years, I related to Kandinsky despite the newness of art as language. I didn't understand why I made the marks I did. I didn't understand his marks either. I just knew I connected with them for some reason. Back then, my art had no visible purpose. It had no comprehensive meaning, just mystery. I didn't see the purpose in Kandinsky's art either. I just felt its resonance. Now that I understand some critical puzzle pieces, there's little left of the mystery.

It appears there is something within our human cores that wants to express itself. We don't understand it in the beginning. We're uncertain where it will lead, but art is an incredible mechanism for demonstrating this undefined process we all seem to experience, no matter our paths in life. Through art, the development of the core is recorded and depicts the evolution of some invisible things.

(Listen, it wasn't always amazing. First, it had to be amateur and mistakes had to be made. As a result, I leveled up. That's how it goes. Whenever you're learning about something new, expect to make mistakes. Expect to fail. Expect to learn. Expect to level up.)

Can you see how things evolved over time? Above, compare Untitled Watercolor (1993) to 6:30 (2020). Can you see the similarities in ideas, shapes, colors, etc? The structure of the works is similar. The rays of light have a singular point of origin and even share adjacent gold and red colors! The hemispheres of the sculpture are comparative to the hills of the painting in their location on the composition space, as well as relative to each other. The work evolves from a place of quantity to a place of quality, excessive to minimal.

Of course, what is art without meaning? In a sentence, the Timebonds sculptures are about weaving through time. If I get into the details, we'll stray too far off topic. Another time, perhaps?

It appears sometimes we begin talking about things long before we understand what we're trying to say. I'm not sure how much of Kandinsky's work was about physics and such, but at some point in his more abstract years he certainly started talking about it, in my opinion. A century later, here I am thinking he's a freakin' genius, but for very different reasons than those acknowledged by the art world; for reasons I can see and they haven't. But they should.

NOTE: art + science are a team! Removing the arts from educational programs inhibits the evolution of humanity. Dismissing the value of the arts on society serves no one but hurts everyone. Keep this in mind whilst voting or otherwise impacting the education system.