You are on page 1of 3

Instructional Resource | 2016 | Amber Finn

The Suprematist
Vision
WHAT ISSUPREMATISM?
Suprematism was a Russian abstract art movement which was
concerned with elementary geometric shapes and a limited color
palate. Founded by Kiev- born painter Kasimir M alevich in 1915,
Suprematism became one of the most radical art movements in
Russia. Its name derived from M alevich's certainty that Suprematist
art would become superior to all the art before it, and that it would
be the "supremacy of pure feeling or perception in the pictorial arts."
(Suprematism M ovement, 2016) ?The Suprematists artists were
intent on creating language, on creating a new world. It was the
move away from a preoccupation with style in art, to the creation of
a new pictorial language with its own rules, which distinguished
'Suprematism' from previous Russian avant- garde art" (Compton,
1976, pp 577).The Suprematist paintings made their first public
debut 'Z ero Ten' exhibition held in Petrograd in December 1915 (pp
577). These paintings were produced by Kazimir M alevich in secret.
Suprematism became one of the key art movements in Russia and
was closely associated with the revolution. Their desire was to
remove the bourgeoisie and create and entirely new world under
communist rule, in which all people would be treated as equals. Kazim ir M alevich Suprematist Composition: Airplane Flying ,1915,
Oil on canvas 22 7/8 x 19" (58.1 x 48.3 cm)
After the rise of Stalin, Suprematism was banished and M alevich?s
career suffered. Stalin imposed socialist realism and abstraction was Resources
strictly forbidden (Suprematism).
Compton, S. (1976). Malevich's Suprematism - The Higher Intuition. The
Burlington Magazine, 118(881), 577-585. Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/stable/878498

Suprematism movement, artists and major works. (2016). Retrieved


November 12, 2016, from
http://www.theartstory.org/movement-suprematism.htm

Suprematism. (n.d.). Retrieved November 12, 2016, from


http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/suprematism

CLASS APPLICATION OBJECTIVES


With a class of fifth grade students, we would visit
the M adi museum in Dallas. Before attending the - Students will learn about Suprematism ideals and
museum, students would be given a brief examples of the artwork.
background of Suprematist artworks and ideals. - Students will engage and discuss thoughts and issues
The students would have a taste of what these
raised by this work of art
artists are all about. After attending the museum,
the students will visualize how the Suprematist - Students will create artwork inspired by Suprematism
movement helped propel and inspire multiple art
movements, including the M adi movement.
1
Instructional Resource | 2016 | Amber Finn

BIOGRAPHY ARTWORK
Liubov Popova was born on art and the most innovative Painterly Architectonic, 1917
to a rather wealthy family avant- garde techniques"
In this painting by Liubov Popova,
of factory owners on April (Sarabianov). She named
there are multiple forms depicted with
24th 1889 in Ivanovskoye, her work "Painterly Archi-
a limited color palette. The large blue
Russian Empire. Due to her tectonics."
form takes up the center area of the
families wealth, she was Popova was one of the most piece while reddish forms create a
able to obtain a high quality unique artists of the Russian vertical border on both sides. The title,
art education (Sarabianov).
avant- garde. She had nu- Painterly Architectonic, is playing on
In 1912, after her studies merous talents, painting, the architectural structure that this
and traveling to various graphic design, theatrical set painting suggests. Though it is
places in Europe, she was designer, textile designer, suggested architecture, there is still a
introduced to some of the teacher, and art theorist. painted quality to the work. The work
leading masters of the
Sadly, Popova died on M ay is not trying to imitate real life, but
M oscow avant- garde.
25th, 1924, at the height of rather create a language of what
In 1916 she joined the architecture may be. While little or no
her artistic powers. She had
Supremus group, founded value is present in the forms, subtle
contracted scarlet fever
by Kasimir M alevich. She hints of brush strokes are seen upon
(Sarabianov).
became drawn to M alevich's close examination, a commonality of
ideas about abstraction and Suprematist works. Value is often seen
Suprematism. Taking this as less important while shape and
inspiration, Popova devel- composition take center stage.
oped an individual variation
on nonobjective art, "in
which traditional principles Resources
were dynamically combined Sarabianov, A. D. (n.d.). Lyubov Sergeyevna Popova. Retrieved
November 20, 2016, from
with the flatness and lin- https://www.britannica.com/biography/Lyubov-Sergeyevna-Popova

earity of M edieval Russian 2


Instructional Resource | 2016 | Amber Finn

DISCUSSION
Students will stand quietly around (Ex: I see a large black rectangle in - Lastly, the students will be asked
the artwork, Painterly Architec- behind the blue shape). what does it make you wonder?
tonic, allowing time for each child
- N ext the students will be asked, The students will discuss
to get a close look. Once each child
what do you think about what you what the artwork leaves them curi-
has had a moment to see the work,
see? What do you think is happen- ous about and why. (Ex: I wonder
they will engage with the artwork
ing in the work? what is happening in the painting)
through a discussion using the I see,
I think, I wonder technique. Students will provide their
thoughts on the work. (Ex: I think
- First the students will be asked,
that the blue shape is the most im-
what do you see?
portant in the piece. Or, I think the
They will provide examples red shapes in the background mean
of what they see in the artwork. something bad).

ACTIVITY
Students will be posed the question "H ow can you
tell a story without using visual forms?" After par-
ticipating in the discussion of Popova's painting,
students will make their way to the work tables.
Each table will have construction paper, scissors, and
glue. Using Painterly Architectonic, as inspiration,
students will collaborate to create a Suprematist
artwork with a cleaver title. The goal of the Supre-
matist artworks was to create a new language, a vi-
sual language that would be understood by all. Each
artwork must have a story that it is depicting with-
out using realistic forms. For example, one work
could tell the story of a woman walking her dog in
the park or even about a whale that can talk. The
possibilities are endless. At the end of work time,
each small group will present their artworks and
what story they are depicting in their work of art.

You might also like