DOI Heft:
Nr. 2
DOI Artikel:Wozniak, Cezary: Przestrzerń suprematyzmu
DOI Seite / Zitierlink:https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.48740#0149
PRZESTRZEŃ SUPREMATYZMU
Malevitch nothingness has no negative meaning. It
is permutably used with its analogons such as
„perfection", „infinity", „eternal innertness", ,,stil-
Iness", ,,rest", „repose", „absolute", „God". Male-
vitch also applied the metaphor of ,,abyss", which
is synonymous with nothingness and similar terms
(,,abyss of space", ,,white empty space", ,,emptiness
of deserts", ,,white space", „bottomless desert",
„infinity of whiteness"). in another passage the
artist states that „the world is like a hole, the
hole whose body is not empty".
Thereby, Malevitch as it were defined a semantic
field to express the non-objective essence of the
world. In its quasi-physical aspects it can be imagi-
ned as the space determined by Malevitch-sug-
gested qualities:
— universality
— infinity
— timelessness
— emptiness
— whiteness
Next, an energetic form of the space of the ab-
solute's manifestation is presented on the grounds
of Malevitch's energetic terminology (e.g. ,,excite-
ment", ,,power", ,,non-objective energy", „colour-
less energy", „tension of movement", „condensa-
tion", ,,pulverization", ,,catastrophe", ,,weight").
The description of the pan-energetic universe of Su-
prematism also includes an orbital model of colo-
uring the colour substance.
The second part of the article concerns artistic
expression of the Suprematist space, that is painting
and three-dimensional architectonic model. The
discussion begins with the „Black square" to
proceed through colour suprematist painting, white
monochromes, the „white square" to three-di-
mensional architectonic bodies. An attempt is
undertaken to explain their forms on the basis of
the earlier presented description of the Suprematist
space. Moreover, the following problems are also
tackled: the fourth dimension in Suprematism and
its relations with the theosophic thought, visual
quality of the Suprematist space. A considerable
attention is paid to the cube as the primary form
of Malevitch's three-dimensional bodies. An embo-
diment of the cosmic whole, the form is related to
the white structure of the Cosmos.
The remarks on the purely conceptual character
of Suprematism in which, according to Malevitch,
,,consciousness does not make use of materials
but of excitements only" are followed by a model
of the spatial universe of Suprematism, that
logically coincides with Malevitch's works.
The scheme
Three essential elements can be here distin-
guished — the cube, the black square, and the
white one. The cube is a three-dimensional pro-
jection of the white space of the absolute, whereas
the white and black squares are its two-dimensional
expression in the extreme points of space's possible
registration. Thus space conotations in its two- and
three-dimensional aspects are revealed.
The third and the last part of the present
article proposes a new understanding of Malevitch's
ideas, which, in my opinion, belongs to the sphere
of misticism conceived as a supersensual, direct
cognition of the ultimate reality. My arguments
concentrate on presenting an analogy between
Malevitch's language and the phenomenology of
mystic experience put forward by M. Eliade. The
phenomenology of such experiences contains the
same set of elements one can find in Malevitch,
141
Malevitch nothingness has no negative meaning. It
is permutably used with its analogons such as
„perfection", „infinity", „eternal innertness", ,,stil-
Iness", ,,rest", „repose", „absolute", „God". Male-
vitch also applied the metaphor of ,,abyss", which
is synonymous with nothingness and similar terms
(,,abyss of space", ,,white empty space", ,,emptiness
of deserts", ,,white space", „bottomless desert",
„infinity of whiteness"). in another passage the
artist states that „the world is like a hole, the
hole whose body is not empty".
Thereby, Malevitch as it were defined a semantic
field to express the non-objective essence of the
world. In its quasi-physical aspects it can be imagi-
ned as the space determined by Malevitch-sug-
gested qualities:
— universality
— infinity
— timelessness
— emptiness
— whiteness
Next, an energetic form of the space of the ab-
solute's manifestation is presented on the grounds
of Malevitch's energetic terminology (e.g. ,,excite-
ment", ,,power", ,,non-objective energy", „colour-
less energy", „tension of movement", „condensa-
tion", ,,pulverization", ,,catastrophe", ,,weight").
The description of the pan-energetic universe of Su-
prematism also includes an orbital model of colo-
uring the colour substance.
The second part of the article concerns artistic
expression of the Suprematist space, that is painting
and three-dimensional architectonic model. The
discussion begins with the „Black square" to
proceed through colour suprematist painting, white
monochromes, the „white square" to three-di-
mensional architectonic bodies. An attempt is
undertaken to explain their forms on the basis of
the earlier presented description of the Suprematist
space. Moreover, the following problems are also
tackled: the fourth dimension in Suprematism and
its relations with the theosophic thought, visual
quality of the Suprematist space. A considerable
attention is paid to the cube as the primary form
of Malevitch's three-dimensional bodies. An embo-
diment of the cosmic whole, the form is related to
the white structure of the Cosmos.
The remarks on the purely conceptual character
of Suprematism in which, according to Malevitch,
,,consciousness does not make use of materials
but of excitements only" are followed by a model
of the spatial universe of Suprematism, that
logically coincides with Malevitch's works.
The scheme
Three essential elements can be here distin-
guished — the cube, the black square, and the
white one. The cube is a three-dimensional pro-
jection of the white space of the absolute, whereas
the white and black squares are its two-dimensional
expression in the extreme points of space's possible
registration. Thus space conotations in its two- and
three-dimensional aspects are revealed.
The third and the last part of the present
article proposes a new understanding of Malevitch's
ideas, which, in my opinion, belongs to the sphere
of misticism conceived as a supersensual, direct
cognition of the ultimate reality. My arguments
concentrate on presenting an analogy between
Malevitch's language and the phenomenology of
mystic experience put forward by M. Eliade. The
phenomenology of such experiences contains the
same set of elements one can find in Malevitch,
141