아방가르드 미술의 탈 인간화 과정에 미친 신지학의 영향 = The Effect of Theosophy upon the Process of Dehumanization in Avant-garde Art

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

In an era being shifted from 19th to 20th century, the European modern artists such as Mondrian, Kandinsky, Kupka, etc. have been pursued for spirituality, being tired of the spread of materialism. Fascinated by the religious trend of theosophy, anthroposophy, etc. that have been widespread at that time, they preferred to approach the representation of nature, namely, to express the transcendental, heavenly thing rather than to express the secular, humane thing. It appeared as an exploitation of a new realm as abstract art. Rejecting the representation of nature and expressing the essence of human-being, the abstract art was for them a tool being capable of enlightening the spirit of the times rightly, as well as a tool for a faithful expression of their inner world.
Mondrian was initially affected by Symbolism, but saw the phenomenon of unity between life and death by the effect of theosophy, and declared his special concern upon the concept of evolution. Fascinated by the vertical and horizontal lines, and the shape of the cross created by their intersection in the middle stage, he attempted the combination of the humane with the transcendental. In final, he exploited the realm of new abstraction in usage of three primary colors under Neo-plasticism based upon the color theory by Steiner invented anthroposophy. In that context, Mondrian's art world is called as being expressed a Utopian world.
Kandinsky was also initially affected by Symbolism. But, he saw the expression of Steiner's inner necessity as a key purpose of art with a deep concern upon it. He, through the abstract art, regarded the defence of the inevitable spiritual function of art as the index of social, political development. As a means for fulfilling such a goal, he began to study the psychological effect of colors, declaring the color symbolism. In the process of pursuing for the spectator's spiritual harmony and stability with harmonized colors on the canvas, he found out the characteristic of music as the easiest way of expression. Fallen in Schoenberg's atonal music, he attempted to interpret his painting as music. He expressed sympathy with Schoenberg's recognition that the musical experience is not the problem of ears, but that of soul. Through that process, Kandinsky became to express the world of transcendence world beyond the world of human experience in his art.
Kupka started as a Symbolist, but revised a pursuit of spirituality as the goal of his art by the effect of theosophy. He fostered a vision of universe with Apollinaire's philosophy of universe, and the trends of the contemporary science, philosophy, etc., and wished to depict the world of universe as simplified geometric shapes. Like Kandinsky, he found it possible to apply music to art, and was absorbed in the composition of classical music through pure color abstraction.
The above three artists in common suggested that spirit and soul can be contained within matter such as the paints, in their artworks by the influence of theosophy, etc. connected with the contemporary spiritualism. And they can be also called as modern avant-garde artists who have exploited the realm of pure abstraction through a unique interpretation of line, color and shape under the standpoint that the final goal of art must be not a pursuit of the humane, but that of the transcendental.

참고문헌 (Reference)

• 1 Hajo Duchting, "Wassily Kandinsky" Taschen 2007
• 2 Catherine E. Creeger, "Theosophy-An Introduction to the Spiritual Processes in Human Life and in the Cosmos" Anthroposophic Press 1994
• 3 Herschel B. Chipp, "Theories of Modern Art-A Source Book by Artists and Critics" University of California Press 1996
• 4 Mark A. Cheetham, "The Rhetoric of Purity-Essentialist Theory and the Advent of Abstract Painting" Cambridge University Press 1991
• 5 Hans L. C. Jaffe, "Piet Mondrian" Thames and Hudson 1990
• 6 George Heard Hamilton, "Painting and Sculpture in Europe 1880-1940" Penguin Books 1985
• 7 Carel Blotkamp, "Mondrian-The Art of Destruction" Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers 1994
• 8 Moshe Barasch, "Modern Theories of Art-From Impressionism to Kandinsky, 2" New York University Press 1998
• 9 Robert Rosenblum, "Modern Painting and the Northern Romantic Tradition-Friedrich to Rothko" Thames and Hudson 1994
• 10 Pam Meecham, "Modern Art: A Critical Introduction" Routledge 2000
• 11 Sam Hunter, "Modern Art-Painting·Sculpture·Architecture" Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers 150-, 1992
• 12 Mary Acton, "Learning to Look at Modern Art" Routledge 2004
• 13 Jose Maria Faerna, "Kandinsky" Harry N. Abrams, Inc., Publishers 1996
• 14 Jelena Hahl-Koch, "Kandinsky" Thames and Hudson 1993
• 15 Nicholas Goodrick-Clarke, "Helena Blavatsky" North Atlantic Books 2004
• 16 Alfred H. Barr, Jr., "Cubism and Abstract Art" The Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 1986
• 17 Nikos Stangos, "Concepts of Modern Art-From Fauvism to Postmodernism" Thames and Hudson 1994
• 18 Rudolf Steiner, "Colour" Rudolf Steiner Press 1992
• 19 Steve Edwards, "Art of the Avant-gardes" Yale University Press 2004
• 20 Charles Harrison, "Art in Theory 1900-2000: An Anthology of Changing Ideas" Blackwell Publishing 2003
• 21 Robert Atkins, "Art Spoke-A Guide to Modern Ideas, Movements, and Buzzwords, 1848-1944" Abbeville Press Publishers 1993
• 22 Hal Foster, "Art Since 1900 : Modernism, Antimodernism, Postmodernism" Thames & Hudson 2004
• 23 Marc Aronson, "Art Attack-A Short Cultural History of the Avant-garde" Clarion Books 1998
• 24 Roger Lipsey, "An Art of Our Own: The Spiritual in Twentieth Century Art" Shambhala 1997
• 25 Anna Moszynska, "Abstract Art" Thames and Hudson 1990