Kazimir Malevich

Date of Birth: February 23, 1879

Zodiac Sign: Pisces

Date of Death: May 15, 1935

Biography

Kazimir Severinovich Malevich was a Russian avant-garde artist and art theorist, born on February 23, 1879, in Kyiv, Ukraine, then part of the Russian Empire. He is most renowned for his role in the development of the Suprematist movement, an art form that focuses on basic geometric shapes and a limited range of colors. Malevich’s groundbreaking work, “Black Square,” created in 1915, is often hailed as one of the most significant paintings of the 20th century, symbolizing the zero point of painting, beyond which the medium could not go. Malevich was initially influenced by Impressionism, Symbolism, and Cubo-Futurism before he founded Suprematism. His artistic journey was marked by experimentation and a search for pure artistic expression, unfettered by the representation of objective reality. Malevich’s philosophical approach to art was detailed in his numerous writings, where he articulated his vision of an art of pure feeling and non-objectivity. Despite his innovative contributions, Malevich faced political challenges in the Soviet Union, where his abstract style fell out of favor with the authorities who promoted Socialist Realism. He spent his later years in relative obscurity and died on May 15, 1935, in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), Soviet Union.

5 Interesting Facts about Kazimir Malevich

1. Kazimir Malevich founded the Suprematist movement in 1913, which emphasized the supremacy of pure artistic feeling over the depiction of objects.

2. His painting “Black Square” (1915) is considered one of the most iconic and radical works in modern art history.

3. Malevich was also a prolific writer and theorist, penning significant texts that explored the philosophy and theory behind his artistic practices.

4. Despite his innovative work, Malevich faced severe repression in the Soviet Union, where his art was deemed counter-revolutionary.

5. Malevich’s works were rediscovered and celebrated internationally only decades after his death, cementing his legacy as a pioneer of abstract art.

5 Most Interesting Quotes from Kazimir Malevich

1. “The artist can be a creator only when the forms in his picture have nothing in common with nature.”

2. “In the year 1913, in my desperate attempt to free art from the ballast of the objective world, I fled to the form of the square.”

3. “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.’”

4. “Color and texture in themselves express the idea of the infinite.”

5. “I have transformed myself into the zero of form and dragged myself out of the rubbish-filled pool of Academic art.”

Highest Net Worth Achieved

Kazimir Malevich did not achieve significant financial success during his lifetime. His highest net worth is not well-documented, but his works are now highly valued, with some pieces fetching millions at auctions.